The Town That Forever Sleeps (TEMPORARY HIATUS)
by Silver-the-Cat21
Summary: 16 students all receive a letter from the prestigious Cidea Academy for Future World Leaders, a school known throughout the world for teaching talented 'Ultimates'. However, next thing they know, they're trapped within an abandoned town where the only way to get out is to murder someone else and not get caught. Will anyone go that far just to live? (16/16, 8/8 F and 8/8 M)
1. Prologue: Despairing Town Trip - 1

I can't remember feeling anything for the longest time. I can't remember having a voice, or feeling anything. It even felt like I've never had a literal body for as long as I could remember. All I had were my thoughts, and even then I never had many. I would constantly wonder whether or not I was dead, what my name was, if I even had a name. I would wonder if this was all the world was, just this void where nothing except my mind existed. And I wondered if I was the only being that existed here.

And, like I said, that's how I existed for the longest time, never feeling anything and questioning everything.

I'm not sure how long it took before I finally heard my first, actual sound. It was jarring and nearly scared me half to death. It took me a couple of seconds to realize what it was that had startled me. It was beeping, one I had somehow managed to associate with an alarm. Almost all at once, my black world began vanishing right in front of me.

At first, it was a tiny crack of white light, until all I could even see was that light. My vision cleared a second later, revealing I had been laying sideways and facing a window. I couldn't make out anything outside, just seeing the blurry outlines of what looked to be buildings. That had to have been where the light was coming from, obviously enough.

The beeping returned, making me wince. Almost instinctively, I reached out for something besides where I laid, my hand finding solid wood but nothing else. It turns out the beeping was coming from one of my arms, where I had apparently been wearing a white bracelet with a small screen attached. The screen had been flashing a blood red, making the sound with every flash. I groggily tried tapping it, but it continued anyways.

That's when I noticed I was wearing black gloves.

A groan escaped me and I messily pushed myself into a sitting position, choosing to focus only on the bracelet rather than the room I found myself in. I pulled the glove off, quickly tapping the bracelet's screen before putting it back on.

" _Good morning, Ms. Tokunaga._ " A message began playing as the screen faded to black. " _It is currently 7:29 in the morning, date unknown. You have one event planned for noon._ "

 _Well, would you elaborate on it then?_ I thought, as a menu of sorts popped up. It looked as if this was some kind of replacement for a phone, a smart watch if I could remember correctly. But I certainly couldn't remember planning any kind of events, literally ever. After all, I could only remember the black void. I rolled my eyes and pulled my glove off once more, tapping and looking through the options.

There were various sections, including a collection of what looked to be 16 files, including one that seemed to have information all about me. It turned out my name was **Denjii Tokunaga** , which at the very least sounded familiar to me. It also gave me a title, describing me as the ' **Ultimate A.I. Developer** ', which made me bite my lower lip slightly. Other than that, it seemed to list the rest of my information, such as height, weight, and even my likes and dislikes. The rest of the files seemed to be blank, or at least not filled out at all. Instead, each category was replaced with a series of question marks.

 _Strange...are there other people here then?_ I wondered, skipping to the next category which seemed to show a general map of the area. A marker indicated I was in a building, just next to a courtyard that led to a plaza. I could also switch between floors on the building, noticing that some of the rooms were marked with a little icon similar to my own. Ah, that at least confirms it. There must be people either above or below me then. I explored the map a small bit too, seeing that there was a cafe and general store down the road, both of which also seemed to have people in them. Other than that, I couldn't move anywhere past the plaza, where it looked like there was just a fountain sitting in the center.

I continued flicking through the menus, finding a calendar with unmarked dates. It did show that event that the message mentioned, but it was entirely blank with no defining details, other than the fact it was at 12 just as the message said. I also found what looked to be another folder that was completely empty. So other than the files and the map, this thing didn't help me at all.

I huffed and pulled my glove on for the final time, before I glanced up at the room I was in. It looked like an apartment, complete with doors to the bathroom and a balcony. I was on the bed in one of the corners, facing a small living room complete with a flat-screen TV just opposite from me. A small kitchen was just left of it, tucked away in a little corner where the countertop jutted out and formed a small bar, complete with wooden barstools. And on the right side of the living room was the door to the balcony, where I could just barely make out a white, plastic chair. The door leading out of here had to have been somewhere in between this all, possibly just behind the door to the bathroom. I glanced over it at first, but I soon became aware of a camera that had been attached to the wall right on the corner between the bathroom door and where I assumed the front door was. It looked like something straight out of an airport, or an important office building, and it was trained right on me with a red light to show me it was almost definitely watching.

 _Maybe I should check out this place first, before I get out of here_ , I thought to myself, swinging my legs back over the side of the bed. Surprisingly, I was fully dressed, complete with shoes even. Other than the black gloves, I was also wearing a black turtleneck sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans. My hair also felt long, reaching down past my shoulders at the very least. This observation made me frown slightly, which also alerted me to something that was covering my face. At least that narrowed down where exactly I should go explore.

I shakily rose to my feet, steadying myself on the wall and using it as I began making my way to the bathroom door. Inside was a simple bathroom, with the toilet sitting just across from the door. The shower and bathtub took up the left hand wall, meanwhile the right wall was mostly taken up by a mirror and counter, strangely without a sink. Instead, the space was mostly taken up by towels and travel size bottles of soap and lotion. I ignored all of this, since all of my attention was directed solely on the mirror itself. I made sure to close the door behind me, before staring directly into the mirror.

Dark green eyes stared right back at me from the face of a rather pale, teenage girl. She wore a black surgical mask, curiously enough, that hid most of her lower face. Her hair was long, just as I had guessed, and a dark copper color. From what I could tell, it reached just past her hips. A strand of hair stuck up stubbornly, sometimes even twitching as the girl moved the muscles in her face. I raised a hand to my face, gingerly touching the mask on my own face. The girl copied my actions exactly, leaving no doubt that this was absolutely my own reflection.

I stood there for a few moments, taking in my reflection before I let out another huff. _You can't stand here forever, Tokunaga_ , I told myself, marvelling slightly at thought of having a name like that. If I felt more secure in this kind of situation, I would've wondered exactly why I felt like that, but I figured I had bigger things to worry about right now. I glanced once more at my reflection before I opened the door and walked back into the main room.

I walked a bit closer to the living room area, checking the bracelet along the way for the time. Only 7:35, thankfully enough. At least I had a while before that event, whatever it was at least. I checked around in the kitchen first, realizing quickly none of the cupboards had food or even plates in them. There was no sink or refrigerator either, leaving only a stove, oven, and a microwave. I also tried the TV in the living area, but there were no working channels I could click to. That also meant no service whatsoever, and I could only gather the same was true for phones as well. Basically, I had no contact with the world beyond this small apartment.

I considered going onto the balcony, but decided against it once I saw the view. All I could see was a building directly across from the one I was in, with a balcony facing mine. I checked the map once more, discovering that it looked to be another apartment building with several floors, a few of them also occupied by other people. It relieved me a small bit once more, considering it meant I wasn't alone here, but I also had no clue if they were hostile or not. For all I knew, any one of them could've been the one who did this to me. An unfounded conclusion, but it was all I could come up with at the moment. I instead turned my attention from the balcony to the door leading back out of here, noticing a coat rack holding a heavy grey trench coat sitting right next to it. I, logically, assumed this must've been mine, which seemed obvious enough considering it not only was in this apartment I suddenly woke up in, but it also seemed to at least match with what I was wearing.

I carefully unhooked it, quickly realizing it was rather heavy for a coat. I found out the reason why after slipping it on, feeling what was probably thin metallic sheets underneath the fabric. I felt about on the sleeves, which was where I felt most of the sheets, before I found hidden clasps that revealed equally just as hidden panels of machinery. Given the title that file gave me, then this absolutely had to have been my jacket.

 _Alright….so now what?_ I asked myself, choosing not to button up the coat, _is the door to here unlocked? Or am I stuck here?_ The instant I pondered that question, a sound rang out throughout the entire apartment, nearly scaring me right out of my own skin.

Someone was knocking on my door.

 ** _A/N: Alrighty, SYOC so y'all know what this part is for. It's time for the rules on submitting and other such things! The main two things is that I ask submissions are sent through PM and not reviews, so that I can actually have actual reviews in the review section and stuff. And two, please don't submit Mary-Sues or overpowered characters. And respect that I have that right to reject any OCs I deem too overpowered. I'll be accepting 15 OCs, so that we have the usual Danganronpa class size of 16 students in total! (8 boys and 7 girls, hopefully at least) Forms will be down below and I will always post the current number of alive students at the end of parts! And I guess for the beginning, the characters introduced. Idk, something like that._**

 ** _Students Introduced -_**

 ** _Student 1 - Denjii Tokunaga, the Ultimate A.I. Developer_**

 ** _Current Number of Students Alive -_**

 ** _16 Students_**

 ** _0 Dead_**

 ** _Character Form -_**

 ** _Name:_**

 ** _Age: (Must be 15-18)_**

 ** _Gender and Preferred Pronouns:_**

 ** _Height:_**

 ** _Weight:_**

 ** _Ultimate Talent: (Can be a talent already seen in the games, seeing as this doesn't take place in the Danganronpa Universe, however the character has to be sufficiently different than a character in the games)_**

 ** _Physical Description: (Hair, eye color, normal clothes, any scars, any unique body features, etc. Basically everything physical I need to know about the character in question)_**

 ** _Personality: (As concise and quick-to-the-point as possible. Flaws and all must be included, to leave room for character development and all. Just give me a basic idea of who this character is and where they can improve)_**

 ** _Backstory: (What happened to your character? How did they become the person they were, and how did they become known as an Ultimate in their field? Give me everything I need know about the character. At the most, I would prefer either 1 or 2 paragraphs completely outlining your character's backstory)_**

 ** _Likes: (Just some things your character enjoys!)_**

 ** _Dislikes: (Basically the opposite of the above)_**

 ** _Trivia: (Any fun facts or fun trivia I should know? This includes any and all special quirks or tics that your characters has, and other misc. facts.)_**

 ** _Survivor, Victim, or Killer?: (Put them in order of what you feel would be the most likely to least likely)_**

 ** _Quotes:_**

 ** _UPDATE!: The form has now also been posted over on my profile. There is also currently no set deadline, but I would prefer to have them at least sometime before the end of November. If I don't have enough submissions by then, then I'll push it back further. Don't stress out about it though!_** ** _Anyways, I'll be posting the next chapter once I have enough submissions! See you all (hopefully) soon!_**


	2. List of Accepted Talents

**_Hiya everyone! I'm back, but not with a fully fledged chapter just yet. I'm still working on getting more submissions and working everything out and getting everything into place. But for now, I'd figure I should post a list of what talents have currently been accepted, so this way you all know which talents are off the table so we don't have repeat talents and all that stuff. Character names and who submitted them will be in the first chapter they appear in, I promise you that!_**

 ** _Anyways, here's the list of talents that I have currently accepted (plus my own OC's talent)!_**

 **1) Ultimate A.I. Developer**

 **2) Ultimate General**

 **3) Ultimate Rhythm Gamer**

 **4) Ultimate Pervert (I can explain when I get to it, I swear)**

 **5) Ultimate Psychologist**

 **6) Ultimate Auditor**

 **7) Ultimate Test Subject**

 **8) Ultimate Kendo Practitioner**

 **9) Ultimate Modern Dancer**

 **10) Ultimate Cowgirl**

 **11) Ultimate Rapper**

 **12) Ultimate Aromatherapist**

 **13)** **Ultimate Hitman**

 **14)** **Ultimate Fisherman**

 **15) Ultimate Fencer**

 **16) Ultimate Kickboxer**

 ** _Submissions are now closed. Thank you all for the great submissions! But I now have enough girls and boys, and just students in general. This certainly is quite the cast of talents now, isn't it?_**

 ** _I also wanna thank you all for all the lovely reviews! I was actually sitting on this idea for such a long time and was super unsure about making this an SYOC or just making up my own cast. But I don't think I'd be able to come up with such a colorful cast that I currently have so far! So again, thanks for both submitting and for leaving these great reviews!_**

 ** _Anyways, the next part should absolutely be a continuation of the story. Thank you for the submissions, but they are now closed. See you all in the next chapter!_**


	3. Prologue: Despairing Town Trip - 2

Someone was knocking on the door.

It made me jump back at first, resulting in me instinctively glancing about for a nearby weapon. Of course, having just checked the entire room prior, I found nothing, instead forced to curl my hands into fists, just in case I needed them. After the first knock, there was nothing but a prolonged period of silence, before the same person began knocking once more.

This time, the knock didn't sound as loud. Instead, it was rather short, quiet, and polite. It was almost as if the person behind it was taking great care not to disturb me, which would've been counterproductive if you were knocking, honestly. As they finished their second bout of knocking, I slowly began creeping back towards the door, stopping when I was just an arm's length away from the knob. Another pause before I finally heard soft footsteps leading away from the other side.

I took a deep breath, cautiously taking the doorknob and turning it. It turned smoothly, surprising me as I had fully expected it to be locked. I pulled it open a crack, peering out into the hallway beyond. It looked like any normal hallway you'd expect to see in an apartment complex, with bland wallpaper covering the walls and another door completely opposite to mine. It didn't seem to be another apartment, however, instead labelled with a sign that said "Janitor's Closet". Curious, I turned by head slightly and looked at my own door, finding only a small sign that seemed to depict a smaller, more pixelated version of myself.

I shook my head and opened the door further, looking down both ends. To my left looked to be another door at the end of a rather short hallway, most likely the stairs either leading up higher or lower. There was a similar door to my right, although this one was just now swinging close. That had to have been whoever was knocking on my door. Are they in the same situation I am? I asked myself, feeling my eyebrow raise, I'd better head after them. I don't have anywhere else to go anyways.

And so, I did just that, pushing the door open fully and closing it behind me. I swore I heard a small click behind me as I began heading down the hall for the door. In a matter of seconds, I had opened it up, revealing a similarly decorated stairwell leading further down. I cautiously walked to the railing, peering down in hopes of seeing whoever had just gone through here, instead seeing nothing but thin air.

I bit my lower lip, feeling a small chill run up my spine. It didn't help there was this strange pit in my stomach, which made me feel like I was being watched. I just tried to tell myself that this person was rather fast at climbing stairs and was just probably waiting at the bottom. Telling myself this over and over again, I descended the stairs slowly and carefully, noticing that there was a camera in one of the corners of the room. At least that explained the feeling of being watched.

There wasn't anyone at the bottom of the stairs at all, just another door labelled "Lobby" in golden lettering. The room I had woken up in must've been on the first floor then. Good to know, I suppose. I pushed open this door as well, blinking in surprise at the room before me.

If this was supposed to be an apartment building, then this had to have been the fanciest apartment building lobby I had ever been in. There was a fancy, expensive looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling, glittering as the light hit the many crystals hanging from the golden rods. There was a reception desk behind the chandelier and just in front of the stairwell door, although I couldn't see a living soul standing behind it. The wall behind the desk seemed to have been transformed into mail slots, each slot completely void of letter of any kind. Finally, there was a clear path to the front door outlined by a velvet red carpet, various chairs and coffee tables dotting the empty space between the carpet and wall.

I walked out into the entrance hall, looking around and feeling my mouth involuntarily open slightly upon seeing it. My attention was snapped back to my current situation when I heard the door slam behind me and the soft patter of footsteps. I looked back down, now sheepishly realizing that there were two other people standing by a collection of chairs halfway down the hall. The shorter of the two had begun walking closer to me, while the other simply stood back and watched, crossing her arms.

It was a girl, a good couple of inches shorter than I was, and was probably one of many strange people I would be meeting that day. The strangest thing I noticed about her was the fact that this girl was walking with her eyes completely closed, deftly avoiding whatever furniture was in her way. Her black hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, tightly tied together to prevent any strands from slipping out. I also noticed she had some kind of sword or stick tied to her back, covered by a navy blue, cloth casing. It was tied to her via a blue thread, crossing over her shoulder. As for her clothing, she wore a traditional, pale green kimono with bright pink petal designs stitched into the cloth, and a light gray haori over that. She also seemed to be wearing a pair of sandals, so I suppose that explained the soft footsteps.

"Hello….you must've just woken up as well….correct?" The girl asked as she reached me, stopping only a few feet away and turning her face to look up a few inches below where my face was. "I...erm….didn't happen to wake you….did I?"

"So then you were the one knocking on my door earlier?" I asked, more or less musing to myself rather than speaking to her. The girl only tilted her head slightly, completely stone faced. "Ah, I suppose then you...weren't knocking then. My apologies. Do you know what's going on here then?"

"No, not yet," the girl replied, shaking her head, "neither of us have a clue." I was about to ask if this meant the other person there when the question was answered for me, as the other person had begun walking over as well.

She was about my height, with strangely dark blue hair also tied up in a bun. She was wearing a formal, blue jacket, a white shirt with some kind of black design visible underneath, and a simple pair of jeans. I also instantly noticed a gleaming silver sword strapped to her hip, held in place by a brown belt that wrapped around her waist. But, and thankfully so, the end of this sword was much more rounded than it probably should be, which was at least some relief.

"We were discussing this matter just a few moments ago." This new girl said, practically scanning me with those light blue eyes of hers. "Both of us woke up in separate apartments. I myself knocked on some of the doors on my way down, but nobody answered."

"There must be more people outside then. Right?" I asked, holding up the bracelet. "I checked on the map and saw multiple markers for places outside. That means people are out there, correct?"

"Perhaps...I haven't been outside yet." The blue haired girl confessed, shrugging. "So far, you two are the only other people I've seen here."

"...Same with me…." The first girl said quietly, fiddling with the sleeves on her haori. "Is there….something going on….is this some sort of orientation…?"

"Orientation?" I repeated, furrowing my brow. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. What are you talking about?" The blue haired girl glanced down to her shorter companion, who would've certainly have looked to her as well if her eyes were actually open.

"You...are a student, correct?" The blue haired girl asked, looking mildly concerned. "You look about our age, but...I can't tell for certain. What's your name and talent?"

"Talent?" I repeated once more, thinking back to that file I had found on my bracelet. "I...can't say I understand, but my name is Denjii Tokunaga. I believe that I also have the title of Ultimate A.I. Developer." The blue haired girl frowned, just as her own bracelet, which was on her left wrist and just barely visible under the cuff of her sleeve, made a small beeping noise.

" _Student registered, Denjii Tokunaga._ " A robotic voice said, as she quickly checked her watch. " _For more information, visit the student file menu._ "

"I….I guess that explains those empty files….in that menu…." The short girl said as the blue haired girl simply tapped out of the notification. "I checked mine and I only had one file filled out….with my own information." The other girl merely nodded, lowering her watch. "I should introduce myself too...My name is **Kasane Kamishiro** ….people also tend to call me the **Ultimate Kendo Practitioner** ….It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Tokunaga." Before either of us could say anything else, she bent over in a sort of bow.

* * *

 ** _Student Registered, Kasane Kamishiro._**

* * *

"I thought you looked familiar." The blue haired girl said as Kasane straightened. "You're that girl who's won the regional kendo championship multiple years in a row, right? My teacher often told me to study your tactics in an attempt to better my own swordsmanship," her cheeks suddenly flushed a bright red color, the kind of blush you'd see on a fangirl meeting her biggest idol, "and I must say….I became a fan."

"I am very flattered, miss…." Kasane said simply, her expression still never changing. "Although...I do not think I am truly worthy of my title…."

"You're called the Ultimate Kendo Practitioner, I would assume that would mean you are at the very top of your field. Am I correct?" I said, putting a hand to my chin. "I find it to be a remarkable title to hold." For a brief moments, Kasane made zero noise, before she whispered out a squeaky "thank you" as her face suddenly gained a new, rather pink glow.

"I may as well introduce myself as well, as long as we're still going through introductions," the blue haired girl said, before putting a hand on her chest. "I am **Akari Hamasaki** , and it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

* * *

 ** _Student registered, Akari Hamasaki._**

* * *

"It's nice to meet you as well, Ms. Hamasaki…" Kasane said, bowing once more. "Although….I do not believe I have heard your name before….May I ask what your talent is?" A flash of uneasiness or perhaps hesitation flickered across her face for a moment, but I wasn't sure if I had truly seen it.

"I am...called the **Ultimate Fencer** , but…." She paused, before sighing. "I'll be honest...I don't like my title. I never did in the first place. Just...refer to me as Akari, please."

"Ah...my apologies." Kasane said, turning her face to the ground. "I did not mean to intrude. I was only curious." Akari sighed once more, waving it aside.

"No, no. It's fine, Kasane. You didn't know." She said. "This shouldn't be our priority anyways. We should be trying to figure out how we got here and why. What's the last thing either of you can remember?" At this question, I bit my lip. Kasane simply answered that she had been preparing to leave for school in the morning, just barely stepping onto campus when everything went black. Akari confirmed more of the same. And when the question came to me, I simply answered;

"I...I don't know. All I can remember is pure darkness and then suddenly waking up in that room."

Akari's eyes widened slightly in surprise and even Kasane looked up ever so slightly, her eyebrows shooting up. I began rubbing at one of my arms, looking away from the two just because of how strange those looks of surprise made me feel.

"So...that's why you do not know about Ultimates and Cidea Academy." Kasane simply said. "But I can't fathom why we would keep our memories while you lose yours…"

"I should've gathered that sooner. Oh my, I can barely imagine how that must feel." Akari said, sounding much more worried than Kasane did. "Here, I'll try to explain the best I can. Where to begin...where to begin….

"I'll start with **Cidea Academy**. The school's full name is **Cidea Academy for Future World Leaders** and its a well known all across the world for turning out some of the most successful and influential alumni in all of Japan. There's only two ways to get in. 1, you have to be scouted out by the school and sent an acceptance letter, or 2, you need to take a special entrance exam. They only accept students who are the absolute top in their own respective field. Most people don't even bother with the entrance exam however, instead being sent the letter that also gives them their Ultimate title. Oh, and people call students of Cidea Academy stuff like **Ultimates** or **Ultimate Students**. As far as I can tell, we all must be students there…."

"We might even be in the same class as well…" Kasane added in, only to get a nod in response from Akari. "I suppose you are right then, Denjii….there must be more people somewhere around here…."

"They're most likely outside." I said again, eyes flicking to the front door. "I can go look for them if you want. There might be more people in this building, asleep just like the rest of us." A faint smile touched Akari's lips as she followed my gaze to the door.

"That might be our only option at the moment. I'll stick around and see if I can figure out more about what's going on here." She said, before looking to Kasane. "Are you going to be going with her, Kasane?" The Ultimate Kendo Practitioner looked thoughtful for a moment, before shaking her head.

"No….I'll stay here with you, Akari." She said, pointing towards the stairwell door. "I might go upstairs and check a few other doors as well….If that's alright with you…." The two began discussing what they were going to do next, allowing me the perfect chance to slip away and head for the front door.

Those two were a bit strange….but not unfriendly, so I suppose that's a plus. I thought to myself, pushing the door open with my shoulder. Sunlight suddenly streamed through the crack, causing me to hold up my arm to shield my eyes from the blinding light. It took me a few moments, but my vision finally cleared and in front of me, there spread a rather large courtyard, surrounded on all sides by rather tall houses with no doors. I ventured out, glancing around as I spotted small bushes surrounded by stone benches. Colorful flowers sprouted up in between the thickly packed branches, swaying lazily in some non-existent breeze. I even saw what I could only guess were sunflowers, growing higher than even the highest twigs on the bushes.

As far as I could tell, there was only one other way out of this courtyard, and only one other building that actually had a door. Said building sat directly next to the one I had just walked out of, its own entrance looking nearly exactly like the other. I let the door fall close behind me, hopefully not scaring Akari or Kasane in the process, and walked over to this other building. And yet, when I tried the doorknob, it was completely sealed shut. I pulled for a few moments, before giving up.

That's when I noticed what looked like a small electronic scanner stuck on the wall directly next to the door. I looked down to my bracelet, already assuming that the machines inside my coat would be useless, and pressed the screen against the scanner. A single beam of light passed over it, before the entire machine turned red and made a harsh beeping noise. When I tried the doorknob again, it was still locked tightly.

"That's the boy's apartments you're trying to get into there." An unfamiliar voice suddenly said. I spun around, only to see another person standing behind me, grinning widely.

At first, I wasn't sure exactly how to even address this person. They looked female, but their hair was also much shorter than I had ever seen, making them seem more masculine instead. Their clothes, a pair of baggy pants and a shirt with the phrase "Special message for idiots on back" emblazoned on the front, were too loose-fitting to tell based on figure alone. I also immediately noticed they were wearing a backwards red cap hiding most of their hair, which could've easily meant that it was shorter underneath as well.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I….um….only just got out of-" I started, trying to think of some sort of explanation for my actions. But the person just laughed it off, walking over and pressing their own bracelet against the scanner. The process repeated, only to get the same result as I had. A red flash and harsh beeping. "It...didn't work for you either?"

"Nah. Apparently the stupid thing can't see a true man when it sees one." The person, who I suppose really was a man, said. "It only unlocks the girl's building over there, which sucks but hey, what can you do." I suppose I had naturally pulled some kind of face, one that I don't think I could accurately describe, since the boy suddenly burst out laughing. "There's no need to give me that look, I ain't no peeping Tom! They must've just run out of space in the other building, so they put me with you gals."

"I..suppose that makes sense. My apologies." I said, rubbing the back of my head. "I might just still be disoriented, I woke up not long ago. Er...would you happen to know what's going on right now?" The boy frowned for a moment, trying to think, before he simply shrugged.

"No clue, sista. I'm pretty much just as confused as you are." He said. "Can't figure out a thing, much less why we're here or where we are exactly. I think we're fine though, this might just be some wack field trip or something."

"A field trip...Oh! You must be another student from Cidea as well, correct?" I said. Sure enough, the man grinned, crossing his arms in some sort of weird pose that I'm sure he thought looked cool.

"That's right! I'm **Jean Kingsley** , the absolute king of rap!" He said proudly. "I got that acceptance letter all the way back home, 'cross the sea, and now I'm here, for all of Japan to see!"

* * *

 ** _Student registered, Jean Kingsley._**

* * *

"You're….foreign?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. Jean nodded, moving out of his frankly ridiculous pose. _Oh, that's right. Akari said Cidea is known all across the world_ , I remembered, _I suppose I should've guessed there'd be a few students from out of the country._

"You know it! And I'm apparently not the only one either. Already met another chick who came from the U.S too. Might be more, not sure really." Jean said. "What 'bout you then? You got a name?"

"Yes. I am Denjii Tokunaga. I've been told my Ultimate title is Ultimate A.I. Developer." I said, holding a hand out towards him. Jean only looked down at it, giving me a strange look. I bit my lower lip, a habit I seemed to have been developing, mentally noting that now might not be the time for such formalities.

"Nice to...meet you then, Jiji. You mind if I call ya Jiji?" He asked, his grin slowly returning as I slowly lowered my hand. "That's certainly quite the talent you got there. But you certainly got nothing this dude. They not only call me the king of rap, but also the **Ultimate Rapper**! Nobody's been able to match my beats, not yet at least!"

"A rapper? Interesting…" I muttered. "Perhaps you could show me some of these raps sometime?" Jean's entire face lit up. Clearly, he was much more passionate about his talent than either Kasane or Akari, which I made note of. I'd have to ask them why sometime later if we managed to figure out the situation.

"Yo, I'd love to! I'd lay one down right now but…" Jean said, laughing slightly. "It might be better to wait for now. Something weird's going on, like you said 'fore. Hey, what do you thi-"

"Hey, fuck off will you?! I don't need any your stupid nagging!"

"It is a requirement. All cadets must wear the proper footwear. You, cadet, are wearing nothing!"

"I am about ten seconds from roundhouse kicking you right now, you asshole!"

"Planning insubordination then? I'll have you know I have been able to defend myself against many revolts in my army. One arrogant young lady is more than enough for me to handle."

Both Jean and I turned to the source of the sound, which seemed to be coming from center of the courtyard...somewhat at least. From where we stood, I could make out two figures, one boy and one girl. Curiosity got the better of me and I began walking closer, hearing footsteps behind me that signalled Jean following.

The boy was the stranger looking of the two, with short blonde hair and bright green eyes. I figured he had to be foreign, like Jean was, given the fact he also spoke with the slightest hint of an accent. He wore what looked to be a suit of red, leather armor, intricately laced with golden and black thread. He seemed to wear jet-black clothing underneath, the sleeve of his shirt visible underneath his arm guard. A blood red cape had been clasped together at his chest, hiding what looked like a golden chain tucked underneath his armor and shirt.

As for the girl, she looked rather muscular and fit, with tiny white scars dotting her arms and legs. Most of her body was visible, as she wore a simple dark green crop top and pair of black shorts, although I did note she had covered her arms and legs in worn out handwraps. She also wore a bright green track jacket that was trimmed with white over her shoulders. Her ash-brown hair reached far down her back, decorated on either side by purple ribbons, and her eyes were currently narrowed in a glare aimed directly at the boy, a cold steely gaze that made me shiver just looking at it. And, looking down, the boy had been right in saying she was barefoot, the only thing even covering her foot being the footwraps, tied just under her heel.

"That sounds like a challenge. Is that what it is, pretty boy?!" The girl yelled as Jean and I grew closer. "I'm ready to go right now! That fancy armor of yours isn't gonna protect you in this fight, I promise you that!"

"This armor is merely for show. If you're serious about fighting," the boy said, voice dripping with ice as he slowly began untying the straps on his arm guards, "then you'll find I'm certainly a worthy opponent."

"Ladies, ladies, calm down here!" Jean suddenly cut in, directing both of their attentions to him. "Have either of you thought about how this might now be the best time for fighting? I mean, I'm pretty sure none of us have any clue what's going on, right?"

"It would be in our best interests to remain calm at the moment." I agreed, nodding. The two both shot one more glance at each other before the boy finally backed down.

"Hmph. Fine. I'll let your clear disrespect for the rules I have set slide for now, cadet." He said sharply, which only resulted in a small growl from the girl, before he turned to us, looking both of us over. "Cadets. Answer me this. What are your names and ranks among these lowlives."

"Er….I'm Jean Kingsley, and I guess you're talking about talents, right?" Jean said, rubbing a hand behind his head. "I'm the Ultimate Rapper! Great to meet ya!"

"And I am Denjii Tokunaga, Ultimate A.I. Developer." I said, giving the boy a short nod. He only nodded back slowly, crossing his arms behind his back.

"Finally, some recruits who show some actual respect…" He muttered under his breath, before he said in a much louder tone; "Cadet Kingsley, fall in with me. Cadet Tokunaga, continue searching around the area. Report to me as soon as you find some sort of exit. You are dismissed." He turned and began walking off towards the building, leaving at least Jean stunned and at a lost for words.

"Crap...I think I know who that is." He eventually said, watching the boy walk off. The girl and I both gave him a questioning look, which he responded to by saying; "That's **Edmund Dance** , and people even back home would call him the **Ultimate General** , even before he probably got in this school. He's this ruthless and really cold hearted guy who rose quickly through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest generals of our time even. I thought he would've been out of high school at the rate he was going!"

* * *

 ** _Student registered, Edmund Dance._**

* * *

"Just seems like a maniacal asshole to me." The girl said bitterly. "I was checking out the place and just now heading back here when he suddenly came up and started yelling at me about 'improper footwear', or something like that. I dunno. Dude got me so riled up I wasn't paying too much attention exactly what he was exactly saying."

"If it isn't a problem, may I ask why you are not wearing any footwear?" I asked. The girl smirked, her feet shifting ever so slightly. Before I knew it, she spun quickly in place and threw her leg up in a rather violent roundhouse kick. However, when it was just inches from the side of my head and most likely about to cause a serious concussion, her leg stopped abruptly. I didn't flinch, although I was a bit taken back.

"Part of my talent, y'see." The girl said simply, not moving an inch. "I'm called the **Ultimate Kickboxer** , and wearing shoes tends to just get in the way, you know?" She finally lowered her leg, quickly standing back in a normal position with a hand on her hip. "But if you're also looking for my name, then it's **Rurumi. Rurumi Roka** if you want specifics."

* * *

 ** _Student Registered, Rurumi Roka._**

* * *

"Cadet Kingsley!" Edmund suddenly yelled, making all three of us jump slightly. "I told you to fall in with me! Now is not the time for idle small talk! Move it!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Jean mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "God, I can already tell this guy is gonna be a pain in the ass. I'll catch you two around later then, yeah?" I nodded and Rurumi gave a "You got it" as he began sprinting just to catch up with the general.

"I might as well keep checkin' round here." Rurumi said, folding her arms. "Guessing you're gonna be doing more of the same?" I merely nodded in response, "Got it. I'll try to meet up with ya again later. And be careful if you're gonna head out of here, there's more students and they're all weirdos. Not that I can really say any different." She gave a short laugh, shrugging before walking off.

"Good luck, Rurumi!" I shouted after her, before looking to the one exit of the courtyard. _More students...I wonder how many there are exactly…_ I found myself wondering as I began walking. _I've only met 5 so far and they already seem like a handful. And Rurumi said these other students are….strange, putting it delicately._ I knew I should've felt nervous, or perhaps excited, about meeting even more new people, but I instead felt the slightest hint of annoyance. Meeting new people meant even more introductions, and I probably would have to introduce myself multiple times before I could even begin trying to figure out what was going on. Not to mention, these were people I probably should know, but simply can't due to my strange memory loss. Akari had mentioned being a fan of Kasane's and Jean had clearly heard all about Edmund and what he did. And yet, I knew nothing about any of them. I hadn't even heard about Cidea, a school I was apparently attending if me being an Ultimate like the rest was any indication.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. _Just get through these last few introductions, then you can get to the bottom of this_ , I told myself, ….or at least, I hope so.

"Do you have something on your mind, miss?"

Just like with Jean, I heard a voice behind me that I couldn't recognize. I spun around, glancing around for a bit before my eyes fell on a young man, a few inches taller than me. His hair was silver in color, shiny and obviously slicked back in a rather attractive way. He was wearing what could be bluntly described as a black suit and red tie, with a similarly blood red waistcoat that the tie had been tucked into. His blue eyes were scanning me over multiple times, watching me with great interest as he slowly took what looked like a cigarette out of his mouth, rolling it between his fingers.

"Yes. There is. I don't think I need to explain exactly what." I replied, turning to face him completely. "Is there something you need?" The young man only considered me for a few more moments, before smirking.

"Just noticed you looked distraught, no need to get that defensive, miss." He said, holding up a hand. "And is it a crime to want to get to know your classmates? You must be another **Ultimate** , correct?" I merely nodded, as he began walking just a bit closer.

"Correct. I am Denjii Tokunaga, and I am known as the Ultimate A.I. Developer." I replied. "May I ask for your name? And do you know anything about what's going on?" Without saying a word, the man stuck a hand inside one of the pockets on his blazer, pulling out a card and handing it over. Strangely enough, it was a business card, with two names printed in big black letters. It plainly stated " **Raiko Kami**. Member of the Kami Clan."

* * *

 **Student registered, Raiko Kami.**

* * *

"The name's Raiko, miss. That's all I need to say." He said. "As for my talent….you can call me the **Ultimate Hitman**. Again, I think it's self-explanatory." He held a hand out, although I didn't dare take it. Not after what had happened back with Jean. But this only led to him giving me a strange look when I simply looked down and did nothing. "Er...right….And as for what's going on, I'm afraid I know just about as much as you do. I walked onto **Cidea** 's campus, then passed out. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a strange apartment I've never seen before."

"From what I can gather, that is what happened to everyone else as well." I said, stowing the card away. "Or at least everyone I've met so far….Have you met everyone?" Raiko made a "sort of" kind of gesture.

"Somewhat. I've met all the other boys and still have a few other girls to meet. Other than you, miss." He said. "Most of the other students are down the road, if that's where you're heading." He pointed over his shoulder, back towards the courtyard. "As for me, I'll be heading this way. But I'm sure we'll be meeting up again. After all, there's that...event happening at noon, correct?" I gave a small start. I had almost completely forgotten about the event on the bracelet, forgetting to ask everyone I had met so far if they even had that same event scheduled.

"Ah, I had completely forgotten about that!" I said, immediately checking the time. It had just turned 8:04, at least still a lot of time before the actual event. "It was one of the first things I had seen too...I can't believe I forgot asking everyone else about it…."

"I can understand. I didn't ask everyone when I first met them." Raiko said, looking as if he was trying to hold in laughter. "But if you need to know, miss, nobody has any other information on it. We don't even know where we're supposed to go. But I'm sure there has to be someone around here who knows. They wouldn't just drop us off here with no clue of what we're supposed to be doing, after all."

 _Is that correct though?_ I asked myself silently. Raiko didn't seem too sure about it either, looking and sounding like he was trying to convince even himself. He must've felt the same way, or at least that's what I assumed.

At least we could silently agree on something. Something about this whole situation felt very, very wrong.

* * *

 ** _Students Introduced_**

 _ **Student 2: Kasane Kamishiro - Ultimate Kendo Practitioner (** YuukiItsuka **)**_

 _ **Student 3: Akari Hamasaki - Ultimate Fencer (**_ _MasterSaixus_ ** _)_**

 _ **Student 4: Jean Kingsley - Ultimate Rapper (**_ _gamergirl101 **)**_

 _ **Student 5: Edmund Dance - Ultimate General (**_ _danieltruong1917 **)**_

 _ **Student 6: Rurumi Roka - Ultimate Kickboxer (** Trust Me I'm Me **)**_

 _ **Student 7: Raiko Kami - Ultimate Hitman (** alucard deathsinger **)**_

* * *

 ** _Students Alive - 16_**

 ** _Students Dead - 0_**

* * *

 ** _Alrighty! Second part and first few Introductions! This actually felt like a challenge to write, only because I'm also still getting a feel for the characters and all that. So if I do get anything wrong, please let me know! Otherwise, I feel like I did a pretty good job so far. Also, this took like 15 pages to write, and normally I don't write that much just for one chapter, haha! Anyways, submissions are now in fact closed and I have all 16 students needed! Thank you all again for the absolutely lovely submissions! I think we really do got an interesting cast of characters here, and a lot of characters I think are pretty cool._**

 ** _One last final thing, for uploading I'll be trying to get a "chapter" up once a month. So I'll finish the prologue, take a break for the rest of month, then start on Chapter 1 for the rest of the next month. Rinse and repeat until this story's done. Each chapter will be split up into different parts, one for the FTEs/Just random, misc. things, another for the murder and investigation, and one last part for the class trial. I'll also be trying something out where I write normally for both FTEs and investigations, but then writing in a sort of script format for the trials. Just thought I'd explain that real quick before I just do it and end up confusing everyone._**

 ** _Alright, so that's all I gotta say this time. I hope you guys enjoy! And see you all next chapter!_**


	4. Prologue: Despairing Town Trip - 3

I hung around to speak with Raiko to find out just a bit more information. Apparently, including the two of us, there were 16 total people in this place, all of them students of Cidea Academy. From what Raiko had also gathered, most of them didn't have any of their belongings on them, no phones or ways to contact anyone outside. And then there was the issue of this town itself. At the end of the road, as I had seen on the map, was a small town plaza that seemed to lead to other parts of this place. However, each of them were blocked off with a strong and locked iron gate, never budging no matter how hard you pulled at them. Other than that, there was no other way to get out of this small area we found ourselves in.

As I began heading off to meet the rest of the students, Raiko actually directed me towards a cafe not far down the road, where there were apparently three other students. "Although," he warned, "one of them is a bit….high energy. Even I couldn't keep up with her. Good luck dealing with her.". I thanked him for his help and left, as Raiko turned and began heading back towards where Jean and Edmund had disappeared to.

The cafe he mentioned, sure enough, stood nearly right at the corner between the street and courtyard. There were a few tables sitting underneath bright red awnings, a pair of menus folded neatly in front of the chairs. There was a small sign that simply said "open" in big, black letters, meant to swing around for when closing time arrived. I peered inside the windows before entering, seeing two people inside at a few of the tables.

One of them, a girl, was standing with her hands on her hips, seemingly speaking down at the other person, a boy, who looked like he was about to nod off into sleep at any minute. I couldn't see the third person Raiko had mentioned, but I quickly caught sight of a door all the way at the back of the room, most likely leading to the kitchen and where this third person was.

Both of them were equally strange, really. The girl was in a fancy dress shirt covered in black cow spots and covered by a black leather vest. There was a red neckerchief tied around her neck, tucked underneath her shirt. She matched her shirt and vest with a pair of brown chaps and a pair of jeans underneath. Finally, she wore a tan cowboy hat, resting atop her brown head of hair that had been tied back into a half-braid shaped like a heart.

As for the boy, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed after a night of tossing and turning. His hair was a dark hazel and stuck up everywhere, although one strand stuck up higher than the rest. It even reminded me of my own hair. He sat with his arms resting on the table, and his chin resting on those, looking at the girl with dark bags under his eyes. He looked just about ready to lay down and immediately fall asleep literally anywhere, considering he also was wearing navy blue pyjamas, the shirt's collar decorated with a little cat sleeping underneath a night sky. I also saw a gray strap wrapped over one of his shoulders, which I could only assume was a bag.

I had to mentally prepare myself for a minute before opening the door. It opened with a little bell jingle, but it was barely audible over the girl. She was seemingly talking at the top of her lungs, speaking with what sounded like a thick country accent that practically made her impossible to understand.

"-one person ta just hold the rope while I skitter on up and take a gander 'round!" She had been saying very animatedly. "Can't ya just keep yer eyes open for a few sec's?"

"Mmm...I-I'd love to help but….it's a-almost time…." The boy replied sleepily, his voice much more quieter in contrast. "...I have a-a little…." His words were punctured by a long yawn, before he simply fell asleep on the spot. The girl simply threw her hands up in frustration, turning only to see me standing in the doorway.

"Well, howdy there, miss! Didn't see ya there fer second!" She called, waving. "Thinkin' 'bout it...Haven't seen you yet 'round these parts! That pretty little face of yours got a name?"

"Er...Yes." I said, slightly taken back. "I am Denjii Tokunaga, Ultimate A.I. Developer. And you are?" The girl merely gave me an even bigger grin, reaching her hand up to tip her hat.

"Yer lookin' at **Bonnie Matsushita** , the **Ultimate Cowgirl**!" She said cheerfully. "Pleasure to meet ya, miss!"

 ** _Student Registered, Bonnie Matsushita._**

"I wasn't aware that being a...Cowgirl was a talent one could have." I commented, blinking a bit as I walked closer. "How is that kind of talent even measured? And are you foreign like some of the other students here?"

"Not much to really explain. Cidea or whatever the hell that biggity place is called gave me the title." Bonnie shrugged. "But I ain't no blue belly! Born an' raised in this fine country, yes siree! Grew up far west, y'see, learned exactly how ta properly roundup bulls and such, raised on the finest ranch this side of the Pacific! Say, speakin' of learnin' the right skills….ya mind helpin' me out with somethin'?"

"Erm….I'm afraid I can't right now. I haven't gotten the chance to meet everyone quite yet." I replied, waving it aside with a small, awkward smile, until I remembered I was wearing a surgical mask and that she couldn't see me. "But, what are you exactly trying to do? I heard a bit of your plan when I first walked in, but I didn't catch all of it."

"It's simple really! I needed someone ta hold up this here rope," Bonnie held up a long cord of rope, which had been pulled into a loop at one end, "while I chuck it onto one of the buildings 'round here. I scramble on up and take a good looking 'round the caboose, y'know? Thing is, this barrell boarder here," She then jerked her thumb towards the sleeping boy, "can't be bothered to lift a figure to help a gal out!"

It completely dawned on me at this moment I literally had no idea what this girl was saying.

"Er...I'll keep that in mind. I'm...um...sure there's plenty of people out there who'd be happy to help." I said, trying to translate whatever she was saying as quickly as I could. "They should be out in the courtyard, if you're interested. Meanwhile...is there anyone else in here I should know about, other than you two?"

"Yep. Got one button in the back fixin' up some brown gargle or somethin', didn't quite listen after he told me he couldn't help out." She said, giving me a "Your loss then" kind of look. "Rubbed me the wrong way, he did. You be careful consortin' with him. I best be headin' out if I won't be gettin' any kind of help 'round here." I sighed and thanked her nonetheless, still not quite understanding exactly what she was saying. Instead, I began heading for the back room, while Bonnie began heading right for the exit. I stole a glance to the sleeping boy for a second, wondering for a second if he was going to be alright. Then again, there didn't seem to be any danger in the surrounding area, much less someone else other than us here.

Is that what's wrong here? I asked myself, frowning a small bit. It can't just be that. There's something else going on here….I just can't figure it out. The thought occurred to me as I opened the door that I probably should've asked Raiko about what he thought about this whole situation. Too late now though, I suppose.

The kitchen was fairly standard enough. All of the cabinets were probably stainless steel, while the counters were made out of some sort of marble. The appliances were all made out of stainless steel as well, and included the ones that had been missing from the apartments. I didn't check myself, but something told me that there had to be food in the fridge here. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling, just over a island in the center of the room. A knife block sat on the same island as well, some of the black handles of the knives glinting in the light upon seeing it.

Just as Bonnie had said, there was a boy standing not far from the coffee maker. He was leaning against the counter, keeping a close eye on the pot while running a hand through a literal tangled mass of ash blonde hair. He looked just as underdressed and rather sloppily dressed as the boy sleeping outside, wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt. I noticed with interest that 1, his cheeks seemed rather red especially since he seemed rather pale in general, and 2, he was holding onto a coffee mug that he must've brought with him, or at least that's what I assumed. I stopped not far from the door, trying to quietly close it before he noticed me, only to have it slip just through my fingers and slam shut anyways.

"Ah...My apologies. I didn't mean to disturb you…" I said quickly, as he looked over to me, raising an eyebrow in question. "I….I'm just trying to meet everyone for now. May I know your name?"

"No need to be that formal, dude." The boy said, in a rather calm and relaxed tone. But just observing how he looked should've given me indication he even sounded like this. "Like, it's not really a crime to come in here, or at least I don't think so." He frowned for a moment, as if trying to recall something long forgotten. "...Bah, they didn't give us any rules for whatever kind of trip this is, did they? Whatever. You asked for my name a few seconds ago, right dude?"

"Yes, I did." I nodded, tilting my head the slightest bit. "And I'm not sure if you can see it, but I am female. Why are you calling me….er…."dude"?" The boy simply gave a grin, until he realized I was genuinely being serious.

"Oh...um….well, yeah I can see you're a chick, dude….I...er…" He rubbed the back of his neck, pausing for a second to recollect his thoughts. I figured no one had asked him that kind of question before, or at least not seriously asked him something like that. "...It's just that I….call everyone "dude", dude…? That work for you?"

"Hm….I'm sorry, I'm afraid I still don't quite understand but…." I said, before I shrugged. "I won't push it further. May I ask what your name is once more?"

"Yeah, 'course." He said, just as the coffee machine beeped. He instantly turned his back to me and began pouring the contents from the pot to the mug, all while still talking to me as if nothing was wrong. "You can call me **Yuri Henajisan** , dude. Or just Henaji if you're gonna get real formal. Then you don't have to say Henajisan-san. Hehe…"

 ** _Student Registered, Yuri Henajisan._**

"I...see. Thank you, Henaji-san…." I said. "Is that what you want me to call you?" Yuri merely shrugged, pulling one of the cabinets and grabbing one of the containers, a simple white bottle with an open top.

"Doesn't matter much to me, dude." He replied, most likely pouring the contents of whatever was in there into his mug. "Call me whatever you like. But could you at least give me something to call you by, dude?"

"I am Denjii Tokunaga." I said simply. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Yuri nodded, finally turning towards me gripping onto his mug and leaning against the counter. He was looking me over, top to bottom, practically observing my every move. I merely tried to ignore it, instead silently beginning to look around the kitchen.

As expected, I couldn't find a thing that could explain what was going on. I did find an excess amount of food, enough to probably feed a small army. At least there was no chance we'd starve any time soon. As for Yuri, he just continued watching me with great interest while quietly sipping at his coffee. I could feel a small chill run up my spine as I stole a glance at him, understanding a little bit better what Bonnie had said before about him being a bit...creepy, to put it bluntly.

"Henaji-san, forgive me for being rude, but," I finally said, turning to him once more, "may I ask why you are staring at me? It feels a bit...unsettling. Is there something you need to ask?" Yuri blinked, as if he hadn't realized he was actually staring. He gave an awkward smile and rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Heh….my mistake then. I was just...hmm….how do I put this without sounding like a freak?" He seemed to be musing to himself, frowning slightly. It took him a minute to find the right words, giving me a small shrug. "I was...just trying to get a read on you, dude. You're a chick like you said, but I can barely figure out what exactly turns you on and stuff, or just even what you're feelin' right now." I only raised an eyebrow in response, my mouth already opening to ask a question. "'Fore you ask or get angry, it's part of my talent. This school invited me and gave me the title of... ** _Ultimate Pervert_**. Pretty out there, I know, dude."

"You are the….Ultimate Pervert?" I repeated. "I was not aware being a….'pervert'...was a talent. What would that talent even involve? How does one even become known for that talent?"

"Well...not too sure about that last question, dude, but I can totally answer that first one." He replied. "Lots of things excite me, putting it bluntly, dude. And I've gotten crazy good at reading other girls, again putting it bluntly." I felt my eyebrows come together in a sort of expression, possibly the same one I had pulled when Jean explained his whole situation regarding the apartments, and took a single step back. Yuri only let out a soft sigh, taking a long sip from his mug. "Yeah...I...get that a lot. I completely understand then, dude, if you just wanna go then. You've probably got other people to meet still…"

"I...think I do indeed need to go." I said, my tone neutral. "My apologies, but perhaps we can speak later?" Yuri just waved it off, muttering something I couldn't quite catch under his breath, which I took as a signal to leave.

I walked back out into the main dining area, not too terribly surprised to see the sleeping boy still sitting at the table, head still in his arms. I paused halfway through the room, watching him and trying to make a quick decision in case Yuri suddenly decided leave as well, before I began walking right for him.

"Excuse me….sir?" I asked, lightly tapping him. No response. "Sir, can you please wake up?" I tried tapping him again, and even snapping my fingers in front of his face. Still no response. I pouted a small bit behind my mask, before I gave him a final, small shake. "Sir, please wake up. This is important."

"Mmmm….h-huh?" The boy finally gave a long yawn, lifting his head up and looking at me with that same tired expression. "A-Ah….um...h-hello there….you're not that….that Bonnie person, right…? Mmm...W-Who...Who are you?"

"I am Denjii Tokunaga, a pleasure to meet you." I said, taking a step back to allow this person to stand, which he didn't do at all. Instead, he only looked up at me through heavy lidded eyes, almost looking as if he was looking right through me.

"...Mmm….It's n-nice to meet you….too, I-I guess…" He eventually said. There was another long pause. "...H-Have you seen t-this place….? I-It's very...pretty and open...Mmmm...I wonder w-why they would s-send us here for a f-field trip….I-I've never h-heard of this place…."

"You believe this is all a field trip?" I asked. _Jean had said something about this being a field trip earlier, didn't he?_ I thought, thinking back. _I...suppose that would make sense if all of us are indeed students. Something just doesn't feel right about this. If we were just on a field trip, then why would some of my own memories be missing? And some of the other students also said they don't remember how they got here in the first place…._

"...hey...d-did you drift off for a second there….?" The boy suddenly said, snapping me suddenly out of my thoughts. I realized quickly he had answered my question, but I wasn't listening. "I-It's no problem….I-I can even help if y-you've been having trouble f-focusing…." He turned slightly, opening a gray bag, attached to that strap I had seen earlier, and digging around inside. "Mmmmm...m-maybe a r-rosemary and jasmine mix? T-The rosemary to help c-concentration a-and stimulate t-the brain….a-and the jasmine to r-relieve any added s-stress…."

"Huh? Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. The boy glanced back up to me, pausing for a second.

"A-Ah….I guess y-you don't know…." He said, even more softly than before. "M-My name is N…. **Naoki Akatsuki** ….I-I was invited to this school to….to be the **Ultimate Aromatherapist** ….I-I make oils and….and stuff t-to help people relax…."

 ** _Student Registered, Naoki Akatsuki._**

"An aromatherapist….I'm guessing that also fits with your current attire?" I asked, pointing down to his pyjamas. Naoki nodded almost absentmindedly as he continued digging, eventually pulling out a small plastic bottle with a muted label that simply said "Rosemary and Jasmine". "Er...you said that rosemary can stimulate the memory, right? Could it help with amnesia?"

"A-Amnesia?" For the first time in this conversation, Naoki actually gave me a questioning look, even raising his eyebrow. "I-I….mmmm….I don't t-think it quite...quite works like that….E-even if it did….I-I don't think I would h-have enough to….to help you with that….I-I'm really sorry I can't help…." He still held out the bottle for me to take regardless, lowering his head almost in shame. "T-Take this anyways….i-it might help anyways….I-I hope so at least…."

"Ah, thank you." I said, hesitantly took it, almost immediately feeling a sort of calm radiating from the bottle. "And you don't need to worry about not being able to help, it's really fine. I'll...just have to figure it out for myself, I suppose. Again, thank you." Naoki still didn't look up at me, only muttering "It's no problem…".

I didn't try to force him into talking more, instead stowing away the bottle inside my coat. I also began walking back to the front door, glancing back over my shoulder just to be sure that he would be fine.

Naoki had already fallen asleep by the time I had started walking away.

Back on the street, I noticed at least two more storefronts further down. The closest one seemed to be some kind of general store, decorated outside by colorful flowers on the windowsills and a cheery store sign. Just like the cafe, the front also had a bright awning, although these ones were a green hue with white stripes running horizontally down. From what I could see from the outside, I could already see another girl inside, and from how she constantly glanced over towards the far back of the store there seemed to be someone else in there with them.

I pushed the door open, immediately understanding why this student seemed on edge. A loud clanking noise from the back, as if someone was shoving things off the shelf in an attempt to find...something. Instead of going to the girl, I decided to go right to the back and see what the fuss was all about.

It turns out there was a young man, surrounded by a pile of fallen pile of boxes from the shelf in front of him. His back was turned to me, probably trying to reach the very back of the shelf for...whatever reason. He was wearing a white overcoat, almost looking like some kind of scientist, and a pair of normal blue jeans. As he pushed away a carton of bleach, I caught sight of what looked to be white fingerless gloves. There seemed to be this sort of...aura around him. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It just felt like there was some sort of malicious, overpowering being standing directly where he was, making me stop in my tracks and just watch him.

I stood there for what seemed like hours, just watching as this boy dug around and knock a few more products to the ground, before finally taking a deep breath and walking closer. He didn't even react at first, only turning around when I was directly behind him and about to tap his shoulder. In fact, he actually startled me into backing up into the shelf directly behind me.

"Ah! I'm terribly sorry, ma'am! I didn't startle you too badly, did I?" The boy said quickly, looking just as startled. "I-I was just trying to search for anything that c-could help us discover what's going on. I didn't even hear you coming, I'm really really sorry!"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." I said, steadying myself while also trying to wave it aside simultaneously. "Were you able to find anything of use?"

"I'm afraid not….Only...er...things you'd expect from a store." He said, scratching at his cheek nervously. "Disappointing actually...You'd think someone would be here to explain what's going on….I'm already preparing for at least one breakdown…."

"A breakdown?" I repeated, tilting my head a small bit. "What do you mean by that?"

"I-It's simple, really. Without knowing why we're here or who did this to us, people will begin panicking and fearing for their own lives….M-Most likely, at least." The boy said, giving a nervous smile. "I've studied it several times myself….I-In an unfamiliar and possibly dangerous situation, there's v-very few who tend to remain calm and rational. Fear takes over quickly and...A-Ah, I'm sorry, you probably aren't interested in hearing me ramble on like this…."

"Again, it's fine. I find it interesting you already are suspecting that." I said simply. "My name is Denjii Tokunaga, by the way. May I get your name and how you know so much about this?" The man again began scratching at his cheek, a clear habit at this point, laughing a small bit.

"Of course, of course….I'm **Taizo Benkai**." He said. "And...well, I've never paid it much mind, but….people would always call me the **Ultimate Psychologist**. It's the title this school gave me when they recruited me as well. I've just always been fascinated by human behavior….I even have some notes on me at all time!" He reached into his overcoat, revealing a bright red and green striped shirt underneath, before he pulled out a thick stack of notes and reports.

 ** _Student registered, Taizo Benkai._**

"A psychologist sounds like a very interesting talent to have. And impressive as well." I complimented him, as he held the notes out for me. I didn't take it, instead noticing how his cheeks had become a bright red as well. It's also when I took notice of something across his entire face, a faint x-shaped scar that practically covered everything.

"Thank you, Ms. Tokunaga. It's a pleasure t-to meet you as well." Taizo said, eventually pulling his notes back and stowing them away carefully. "What about you? Do you have an Ultimate talent as well?"

"I've read I am the Ultimate A.I. Developer." I replied. "However, I can't say I properly remember it myself. I cannot remember anything past waking up in the apartment even." Taizo's gray eyes suddenly widened and he gave me a strange look, seemingly torn between fascination and worry.

"Amnesia then? S-Strange...You seem to be suffering a more serious version than what the rest of us have." He said, voice lowering as he began seemingly muttering to himself. "Could it be a head injury? Maybe for the rest of us….then perhaps some other reason for her...Brain tumors? A near fatal stroke before this? Lack of thiamin? What else...what else…." I bit my lip underneath my mask as Taizo only continued to talk to himself, scratching even harder at his cheek. I only saw one way out, muttering a small excuse under my breath and slowly backing away, only to have someone tap somewhere on my lower back.

I spun around, seeing only a short girl standing behind me who looked shorter than even Kasane. She had short, white hair cut into a bob and a small black ribbon that almost looked like a pair of little rabbit ears. She wore a formal white shirt underneath an equally formal black vest and green bow tied at her collar. Her skirt reached just a little past her knees and was monochrome in color, made to look just like a chess board. She made a small motion that said "follow me" before she ducked into one of the aisles. Taizo was still distracted trying to determine the cause of all of our amnesia, so I figured he wouldn't miss me much.

I followed the girl back to the front of the store, right by the checkout register and a display of pocket knives, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. She turned on her heel as soon as we reached the window, looking up at me with bright yellow eyes.

"I'm glad I got you away from him as quickly as I could." She said simply, folding her arms. "When I attempted to speak with him, he seemed normal until the topic of what he was searching for came up. He said he was looking for clues, which I could tell was a lie, and supplies for a...special experiment." Her eyes darted behind me, in the direction Taizo once was. "...There's something wrong with him. I can already tell. I'd suggest you stay away from him for however long we're here for."

"He...didn't seem like a bad person." I said, a bit unsure. "I'll be cautious, but I can't promise I'll avoid him entirely." The girl huffed, pouting slightly as well. "Er...I don't think I gave you my name, did I? I'm-"

"Denjii Tokunaga, Ultimate A.I. Developer." The girl suddenly finished for me. "I heard you tell him back there. And I think I've heard of your name before. Tokunaga specifically." It felt like my face physically lit up upon hearing that. I might actually get some answers!

"Then do you-"

"Hold it right there. I never said I definitely remember." She seemed to have a habit of interrupting me before I could finish a sentence. Or she was at least forming one rather quickly. "It's foggy, and your name sounds familiar, that's all. For all I know, it could've been a passing name my father mentioned from time to time."

"Then may I get your name as well?" I said, making sure to speak faster so she didn't get the chance to interrupt me this time. She only seemed to consider me, before stiffly adjusting her green bow.

" **Nizu Magane.** " She said, equally as stiffly. "I'm called the **Ultimate Auditor** and I, as my talent suggests, am the auditor for my father's company, the Magane corporation. I suggest that if you find anything out about our current situation, you tell me immediately." A small flicker of a confident smirk passed her face for a moment. "We might be able to get out faster if you do."

 ** _Student registered, Nizu Magane._**

"If you're looking for clues from me, then I'm afraid I don't have much to offer." I admitted, holding my hands up almost defensively. "All I know is we're all students from Cidea Academy and there's no other way of getting out of here. We're essentially trapped in this one area, right?" Nizu nodded slowly, frowning.

"That sounds about the same as all I had gathered." She said. "The gates are strong enough to stop even the Ultimate Kickboxer from breaking them down. And I've heard plenty of rumors that her kicks are strong enough to kick down a brick wall." Rurumi's seriously that strong?! I asked mentally, blinking in surprise.

"Er...what about that event at noon?" I continued, holding up my bracelet. "I was talking with one of the other students, I'm not sure if you've met him yet but his name is Raiko-"

"The overly casual hitman? Yes, I've already spoken with him."

"Er….yes, him. He said that everyone he had met had the same event registered in their bracelet….or smart watch...or whatever these things are." I kept going, trying to ignore the interruption. "I'm guessing you have it too, right? Have you found out what that is?"

"No, not yet. I have a few theories regarding the matter, but none of them feel quite right." Nizu replied. "This might just be a field trip and that event is the teachers explaining everything, but our school year just started so I find it hard to believe we're already on a field trip. Maybe it's orientation, although it's strange that it isn't being done in the school building itself and there's only 16 of us here...And the last may be the most likely." She paused for a moment, as the sound of Taizo searching through the back area of the store floated towards us once more. He must've realized I had left and resumed his search, thankfully not trying to find me again instead.

"And that would be?" I pressed, raising an eyebrow. Nizu didn't respond for quite a while, seemingly pausing only to create dramatic tension.

"We were kidnapped." She finally said.

Those three words rang through my head as I continued walking down the street to the final store. Like Nizu had said, that was the most likely reason. It would also explain why the others were missing memories and my own amnesia. But...it felt like too easy an explanation. Why would our kidnappers put us in a huge town like this and allow us to roam freely?

 _Is there seriously any other way for this situation to get more strange?_ I asked myself, barely even paying attention to the actual storefront and the people inside. I instead just pushed open the door only to suddenly be bombarded with various loud, rather annoying buzzing noises. _What the….What is this place? Is it some sort of power generator? A computer room?_

Turns out I couldn't be farther from the truth. I had actually walked into a laundromat, with at least two rows of dryers and washers all stacked on top of each other. There was a vending machine filled with various soaps and detergents rather than snacks. Benches filled the area in the front near the vending machine and in between the two rows of machines. There were two people over by the machines, one girl and one boy.

The girl had rather wavy blonde hair with various strange patches of black here or there. She was wearing a white tank top decorated with splotches of paint and various, colorful musical notes, leading me to believe she had some kind of music related talent. Her top also exposed a very pretty tattoo of a butterfly, with the word "Fire" written underneath in golden, wispy writing. Her shorts were black and rather tight-fitting, with a chain that wrapped around her waist and even had a keyring attached. I couldn't exactly identify what charms or keychains she had attached, noticing a few miniature scale buildings or even more musical notes.

As for the boy, he had sleek black hair where the tips just barely reached his shoulders, all of it mostly hidden underneath a black hat with a wide brim and fishing lures, as well as hooks, stuck inside the fabric. I even saw a few stuck to its brim as well. I could also already guess he had some sort of injury to his right shoulder, given how he was constantly shifting his position so as to avoid pressure to it. He looked like some kind of boater or fisher, as he wore a white shirt underneath a black vest that almost looked coated in pockets. I could even see a small salmon design on his shirt, hidden underneath his vest.

They both immediately looked to me as I entered, catching me off-guard a small bit. There was a rather long silence, broken only by the dull humming of the machines. Finally, the boy took a step forwards, giving me a calm smile.

"Hey. I don't think we were expecting anyone coming in after that last guy." He admitted, rather good-naturedly. "It's great to meet you. My name's **Katsumi Ryoma** , and they call me the **Ultimate Fisherman**. But…" He laughed slightly, adjusting the brim of his hat and expertly avoiding the sharp hooks. "That's just a title. You can just call me Katsumi. I don't mind."

 ** _Student registered, Katsumi Ryoma._**

"It's...a pleasure to meet you as well, Katsumi." I said, nodding shortly. "I am Denjii Tokunaga, the Ultimate A.I. Developer. You say you are a...fisherman?"

"Yeah, one of the best they say." Katsumi nodded, his smile never fading. "I had to take a test to get in though, but I've won tons of other competitions and even broke the world record for most fish caught in such a short time."

"They say the record was 2,649 in one day. This guy managed to do that in a few hours." The girl suddenly said, leaning against a nearby wall. "Any time I've fished, I've literally come up with nothing. Of course….that doesn't happen often, but you know." Katsumi laughed, almost embarrassedly even, rubbing at his shoulder.

"Fishing's mostly down to luck, really. If I didn't take that exam to become the Ultimate Fisherman, I probably would've been the Ultimate Lucky Student instead." He admitted. "Both of your talents certainly require more work than mine. I'll be the first to state that outright."

"I would suppose that's true…" I said, before looking to the girl. "I'm sorry, I haven't gotten your name yet. Or your talent for that matter." The girl bit her lip, looking as if she thinking long and hard about her answer. Or maybe she was simply trying to find the right words?

"I'm….I'm **Clara Odette**." She finally said, giving a rather forced smile. "I was originally from San Francisco, all the way in the U.S….But I came here a few years before Cidea invited me. Oh, they also call me the **Ultimate Modern Dancer** as well, since you asked for my talent too."

 ** _Student registered, Clara Odette._**

"See what I mean? You need real skill to be a dancer. And an Ultimate Dancer, no less." Katsumi pointed out. "And you need the brains to be an A.I. Developer. Fishing's super easy if you got the right equipment and just enough luck."

"Are you saying you…" I started, getting flashbacks to how Kasane and Akari felt about their own talents and titles. "Do you dislike your talent and title?" Katsumi gave me a strange look, before laughing and shaking his head.

"No, I'm proud of what I've accomplished. Fishing's my whole life." He said, waving it aside. "Besides, if I wasn't I wouldn't have taken the entrance exam, now would I? Maybe I could show you guys what I mean if there's a pond around here….Haven't found anything yet…"

"There's a fountain, but I don't think it's got fish in it." Clara said, jerking a thumb behind her, towards the other end of the road. "Besides...I...I think we've got bigger problems right now. This whole situation stinks...I don't like it."

"I'm just trying to make the best of it." Katsumi shrugged. "A little optimism would take you far in life, y'know?" Clara only shifted uncomfortably in response, only saying something quietly under her breath. "Lighten up a bit, will you? The teachers are gonna explain everything at noon, I can feel it."

"Ah, so you're one that believes this is all merely a school outing, correct?" I asked. "I've been making my introductions and have met a few people who do believe this is all a field trip. Or some sort of orientation."

"It just can't be that….you don't just wake up in a random apartment after thinking you're going to school for the day…" Clara agreed. "It's gotta be roaches….o-or someone who wants us all dead. It'd make sense considering they took a bunch of Ultimates…"

"I won't even ask who these 'roaches' are…" Katsumi said, holding his hands up. "But to stay on topic, if this whole mess is a kidnapping like you said, then I don't think we're going to be here long." Clara and I both gave him a questioning look, to which he responded with another shrug. "I mean...16 Ultimate students from the most well-known school in the world go missing and nobody bats an eye? The police would be here in a heartbeat. But they aren't….so I think we're good."

"Unless the police are in on this." Clara snapped back. Katsumi only huffed. "I'm just saying we don't know what's going on. For all we know, this could be something the government is doing, like some sort of sick, twisted experiment on a bunch of high schoolers!"

"Geez...paranoid much?" Katsumi muttered. "Let's just try to stay calm for now. Again, if there was a lake nearby or something, I'd totally just start fishing. I always got lines and lures on me, I'd just need the rod." The two began talking, seemingly resuming a conversation that my arrival must've interrupted. Instead of getting involved, especially since I still had two more people to meet and, as I had checked the time, it was already nearly 9 o'clock, I backed away and pulled the door open once more, back out onto the streets once more.

All that was left for me to explore was the courtyard at the end of the road. The last two students had to be there.

 ** _Students Introduced_**

 ** _Student 8 - Bonnie Matsushita, Ultimate Cowgirl (_** _Orlando Butler_

 _ **Student 9 - Yuri Henajisan, Ultimate Pervert (** ObieSenpai_

 _ **Student 10 - Naoki Akatsuki, Ultimate Aromatherapist (** Abitat Eco_

 _ **Student 11 - Taizo Benkai, Ultimate Psychologist (** Deathtobuttersauce_

 _ **Student 12 - Nizu Magane, Ultimate Auditor (** Despol12_

 _ **Student 13 - Katsumi Ryoma, Ultimate Fisherman (** Trygve11_

 _ **Student 14 - Clara Odette, Ultimate Modern Dancer (** CandleFire45_

 ** _Students Alive - 16_**

 ** _Students Dead - 0_**

 ** _Alrighty, 2nd part! I'm super sorry if this felt like it was taking forever. Halfway through I got sick and then immediately had to help out at a school event before I could start writing more for this again. But second part's out now and I probably was just worrying too much and it didn't take as long as I thought. Anyways, we got more characters and we only need two more!_**

 ** _Oh! And thank you for even more lovely reviews! I'm glad you guys are liking the cast so far and the story in general! Like last time, let me know if I got anything wrong and I'll be sure to fix it accordingly next part! I would also love to answer to a few of them but...hehe, the specifc reviews I do want to address would end up spoiling the story. Just know that I do have everything planned out already, down to the murders and the development I want to put Denjii through! In short, I got everything planned, so don't worry._**

 ** _Anyways, next part we should also be getting to the ones planning this game, as well as the final two students and the end of the Prologue! That's when the real fun begins, am I right? Haha! Hope you guys enjoyed this part!_**


	5. Prologue: Despairing Town Trip - 4

" _Alert. Your event planned for 12:00 is only 3 hours away_ ," My bracelet said as I walked further down the street, " _Please make sure you make your way to the town plaza by 12:00. Another alert will remind you 1 hour from now._ " I tried to switch it off once more, this time refusing to take off my gloves just to do so. Of course, it didn't work, so I groaned slightly and just gave up, pausing just as I reached the end of the street.

Sure enough, before me spread another courtyard with what looked like 4 other different gates leading to different areas of the town. In the very center sat a grand marble statue, decorated with a statue of three girls all holding jugs. The water simply flowed from the open jugs, pouring into a clear pool at the bottom. The rest of the walls were covered in posters, overgrown ivy, and colorful graffiti, although I couldn't read at all what it said. Benches were placed in between the various gates as well, sitting just underneath the posters and graffiti.

"Hol' on tighter, will ya?!" I heard Bonnie shouting close by, making me jump a small bit. I walked around the corner, somehow not surprised to see she had managed to indeed lasso onto something high above, and that someone had actually agreed to holding the rope as she climbed up.

That someone happened to be a boy, and was probably the strangest student out of all of them. He had to have been the tallest out of everyone here, and the most muscular as well. His legs bent back just above his ankle, looking like some sort of wild animal given how it also looked like he had claws on his feet. I also could already see patches of orange fur that had sprouted up all over, whether it be on his neck, his arms, or even his legs. He was wearing a light and pale green yukata tied together with a brown obi, just barely reaching across his shoulders with the amount of fur patches I could imagine he had underneath. There was even a small hole in the back for a long, thin tail that looked far to similar to one of a tiger.

"I'm trying my hardest, I swear!" The boy said, pulling back slightly on the rope. His nails were already digging into it, which also looked more like claws as well. "How much farther until you get to the top, miss?" Bonnie didn't reply, instead huffing and grunting as she tried to pull herself up higher.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but…." I finally said, stepping up and making the boy yelp a bit. "Is this really a good idea, Bonnie? This looks far too dangerous. You could possibly fall and hurt yourself. As far as I know, we don't exactly have a doctor among us."

"Oh! Howdy there, Denjii!" Bonnie said, ignoring literally everything else I said. "Found this fella who was more than happy to lend a hand! Been trying for a good while now, but I ain't hangin' up the fiddle just yet!" The strange boy only shrugged, giving me a small glance. "Might be a bit of an odd one, but he got a true heart of gold, he does!"

"A-Ah...you don't need to say that about me, miss." The boy said, laughing nervously. "But I think she is right. This is way too dangerous, miss. Maybe we should try something...less dangerous?" Bonnie just waved it aside, blowing a raspberry with her tongue.

"No need to get your back up, I'll be done in a blink of an eye, if my name ain't Bonnie-" She started, until her hand suddenly slipped. She yelped and instantly began sliding down way too fast, letting go of the rope quickly only to begin falling faster. The boy moved way too fast, almost inhumanly so, and managed to catch her before she hit the ground and possibly injured herself. I rushed over as well, as the boy carefully set her down.

"Bonnie, are you alright?!" I asked immediately, as she took a seat on the nearby bench, shaking slightly. "Did you hurt anything? Do you want me to go find someone to get help?" "No, no...I'm fit as a fiddle." She said, taking a deep breath. "Had a few close calls out on the ranch, but never like that. Thanks for catchin' me by the way, chap." The boy rubbed the back of his neck, laughing slightly.

"It really was nothing. You don't need to thank me like this…" He said, grinning. "Maybe you should take a break from trying to escape for now? I'm sure there's some sort of way out of here, we just need to be patient!"

"Bah...you're right, kid. Guess that means I'll be gettin' my clothesline later…" She huffed, crossing her arms and pouting slightly. "Looks like we'll be cooling ourn heels a bit longer…"

"In the meantime, perhaps I could get your name, sir?" I asked, looking to the boy. "I am Denjii Tokunaga, the Ultimate A.I. Developer. And I'm sure you already know this, but that is Bonnie Matsushita, the Ultimate Cowgirl." The boy tilted his head slightly, his tail beginning to sway from side from side to side lazily.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Tokunaga. I hope we can be friends!" He eventually said cheerfully. "My name's **Kotetsu Nyanta**! You have a very nice talent by the way!"

* * *

 ** _Student registered, Kotetsu Nyanta._**

* * *

"Er...Thank you, Kotetsu." I said, nodding. I hesitated for a minute, before finally continuing by saying; "If it isn't a problem, might I ask why you look….so strange? I must say you look very...unusual."

"Oh! It's actually related to my talent!" Kotetsu said, before he puffed out his chest proudly. "I'm the **Ultimate Test Subject**! I was part of this really big experiment where they tried injecting me with tiger DNA to make me super strong and fast. It worked but," He held his hands out, smiling brightly, "it kind of left me like this."

"And...you're just okay with this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't mean to be rude here, but this experiment looks like it disfigured you somewhat. Aren't you upset about it?"

"I was part of one of the greatest scientific experiments of our generation!" He argued. "Why should I be upset about it? It was for the greater good, and I think I look cool too!" I was going to ask more, but decided against it. At this rate, I saw no more point in trying to argue with him, really. Instead, Kotetsu turned back to Bonnie, bending down slightly to start up a conversation.

I only backed away and glanced around the area once more, spotting someone sitting on the edge of the fountain. It was another boy, this one with teal-colored and rather messy hair. His clothes didn't seem to match up with his hair either, since he wore a simple, pale yellow shirt and a red bandana tied around his neck that was decorated with little white polka dots. A red pair of jean shorts matched his shirt, and one of his legs was crossed over the other. He seemed to be completely engrossed in some kind of game on some kind of gaming system, tapping on one specific button at a rapid speed. This had to be the final student I needed to meet.

I didn't make a sound as I walked closer, putting my hands behind my back as I just quietly sat down near him. His brown eyes flicked away from the game's screen for a second, but he otherwise made no acknowledgement about my presence. We sat in silence for a long time, as I'm sure both of us were unsure of how or where to even start.

"Um….Hello, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting you." I finally said, after taking a deep breath. "I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Denjii Tokunaga, and I am the Ultimate A.I. Developer. It's a pleasure to meet you." The boy didn't reply at first, instead tapping more furiously at his game. As a result, we sat in silence for a few more moments before I heard a small jingle from his device.

"...I-It's….fine." He eventually said, letting out a breath. "It's….a-a pleasure to meet you as well, I-I guess….My name is **H-Hachiro Yamamato** ….the **Ultimate Rhythm Gamer** …."

* * *

 ** _Student registered, Hachiro Yamamato._**

* * *

I noticed he didn't look up at me while talking, instead keeping his eyes on his game. I wasn't sure if I should've interpreted it as a sign of him just being shy and unused to social situations or that he wanted me to go away as quickly as possible so he could return to his game. I internally told myself that what I was about to do was probably a very bad idea and I should just leave him alone, but I instead kept pushing anyways.

"What...game are you playing? I would assume it's a rhythm game, correct?" I asked, tilting my head and even trying to get a look. "I can't remember playing one myself, but it sounds like a fun sort of thing. And a fun talent to be know for as well."

"Mh...Y-Yeah…." Hachiro nodded, traveling through the menus on my game. "I-It's my favorite….and I make sure I never l-leave without it. I-I'm really glad whoever did this didn't take it away…." He bit his lip slightly, just as he selected one of the various songs. I could see what looked like his high scores, which were ridiculously high. I even think the top score had reached the highest it could possibly go, being a literal line of 9's all the way to the last digit. "...I-I play this game a l-lot….I know a-all the tricks and...a-and how each of the songs go….I-I even won the latest rhythm game tournament for t-this game…."

"And that must be how you earned your title, right?" I asked, receiving another nod in reply. "I see...Perhaps I'll be able to see your talent at some point?"

"I-If you really want to….I-I don't mind…" He said, lowering his game slightly so I could watch as well. "I-I just might not talk much….considering I-I need to concentrate...y-y'know?" I simply nodded, moving a bit closer so I could watch alongside him. He started up the song and began playing, matching the rhythms absolutely perfectly. I just watched in amazement as he rapidly pressed the buttons along to the music and how calm he seemed to be about it all.

 _This must be the actual amount of talent an Ultimate can have…_ I thought, just watching this. I had gotten the sense that being an Ultimate truly is something to be proud of. Akari had talked about Kasane winning the national Kendo championship multiple years, quite possibly right in a row. Though I didn't flinch either, I could already sense the power behind Rurumi's kick. There was also the fact Taizo always had notes on him for his research. But seeing Hachiro absolutely, and this is putting it very bluntly, rock at this song and max out his score truly showed me just how talented Ultimate students truly were. It also got me thinking about my own talent.

The **Ultimate A.I. Developer**...What kind of talent even is that? I asked myself, frowning slightly underneath my mask. I...would suppose that means I create A.I. programs, so that would mean I'm good with computers, I guess? I suppose I won't really know for sure unless we can find a computer around here… I sighed quietly, trying to push it from my mind.

 _Everything is gonna be fine._ I kept trying to tell myself. _That event is going to explain everything._

* * *

I spent the remaining time until noon in the plaza. I watched Hachiro play his game for a while longer before wandering back over to Kotetsu and Bonnie to join in their conversation. I kept an eye on the time, while also checking the files as well. All 16 files had been filled out, with not just my own information now as well. It had the names of every student, along with their physical height, weight, talent, and even their likes and dislikes. I took a few minutes to skim the files, but otherwise found nothing else useful. All of it seemed to be either useless information or stuff I already knew.

Luckily, before I knew it, it became 12:00 and all of the bracelets in the surrounding area began beeping. There was even a small message, which basically just told us to gather in the town plaza and await further instructions. The four of us all watched as the rest of the students began filing into the area.

Nobody exactly said anything for a while. There was small talk, yes, but nobody spoke up and questioned what we were doing here. It felt like hours of tense waiting until something finally happened. The water in the fountain began bubbling and rippling, as there was a crackle of static that erupted from our bracelets, making a few people even yelp and cover their ears as a response.

" _Hey, hey. We got everyone here?_ " It was a female, possibly a little girl younger than us, speaking. She muttered something under her breath for a minute, sounding like she was counting. " _Hm...I think we have everyone. So!_ " She clapped her hands together, just as water exploded up from the fountain.

"No more fancy introductions! Time to get this fuckin' show on the road!" Another voice, this one sounding far too similar to the first one, shouted. Feet landed on the statue as the water finally cleared, revealing what looked to be a miniature girl in a pale green dress covered in little sparkles. Her collar and sleeves were both covered in a white fluff, also decorated in tiny little sparkles and even stars. Her hair was a dark black, styled so as to cover left eye, and a pink bow clipped right onto her bangs. She stood on top of the statue, hands on her hips and a wide smirk on her face.

"Is that….?" Clara said, the first one to speak after that big introduction. "A….little girl…?"

"...No, that looks more like…" Akari replied, squinting and even taking a step closer to look at the girl closer. "Is...that an actual doll? I didn't know they made ones that look at life-like."

"They don't." Nizu shot back bluntly, much to the doll's disappointment.

"Hey! I ain't no doll. Don't compare me to one of those stuck up bitches!" She shouted, pouting. "I'm your Trip Supervisor! So you might wanna treat me with a bit more respect, ya hear?"

"If you are supposed to be our supervisor, then I would suggest you act more like it." Edmund snapped back. "Explain what is going on here at once, doll. And that's an order!" The doll's pout grew even larger, and she even crossed her arms and stuck her nose up at that.

"Hmph! Don't get why they called you the Ultimate General. Ultimate Dick is more like it." She said.

"Excuse me!?" Edmund shouted, starting to stomp closer until Kotetsu managed to pull him back.

"Whatever. Ignoring the assholes in the crowd, I'm here to welcome you fuckers to your new school trip!" The doll continued, her grin instantly returning. "Congrats! Your class got chosen to take a very special trip to this dump, the one and only Kara Town!" She mimed playing a triumphant trumpet solo, only to frown as we all exchanged a confused glance.

"Um….pardon me for asking…." Kasane spoke up, raising a hand slowly. "But...where exactly is this town located…? And when can we expect to leave?"

"That's the great thing 'bout this place, missy!" The doll said, winking. " **Kara Town** is this nice little closed off place, no chance of anyone interrupting your fun little trip here. And this trip ain't ending any time soon, that's for fuckin' sure!" A ripple of confused and worried murmurs ran through the group. A trip that wasn't ending any time soon...Something about that seemed insanely ominous.

" **Mimi** , what are you doing." The same voice from our bracelets suddenly said. "Why. On earth. Would you even pull something like this?!" The doll, Mimi as she had been called, just huffed, pouting once again.

"If you're gonna bitch and moan about it, then get your ass out here, **Gigi**!" She shouted back. The voice on our bracelets sighed, just as there was another explosion of water from the fountain.

Another doll landed on the other end of the statue, glaring at Mimi through its left eye. She wore the same kind of dress as Mimi, although hers was in pink rather than green, and had pure white hair rather than black. She had a green bow clipped onto her bangs, which covered her right eye instead. Other than that, she looked almost exactly like Mimi concerning both the shape of her face and other physical features.

"Do you really need to be that vulgar, sis? We have a job to do, this isn't some sort of game." She scolded what seemed to be her sister. "Antagonizing our students isn't part of the proper code of conduct either." Mimi rolled her eyes, spinning on her heel and turning up her nose.

"Blah blah blah. Stop whining already, lighten up, Gigi!" Mimi shot back. Gigi only frowned, before looking back over the rest of us.

"Are all 16 of them here?" She asked calmly. "We can't continue unless all of them are here. It'd be a pain to explain everything twice."

"Yeah, yeah. They're all here." Mimi said. "Few of them don't show proper respect. Also already told 'em 'bout the trip and town and shit." Gigi's frowned even more, before taking a deep breath.

"Alright….Hello there, class! I see most of you have already acquainted yourselves with each other." She said, clapping her hands together. "I am one of your two **Cidea Academy School Field Trip Supervisors** , and you can simply refer to me as **Gigi**. This is my partner and twin sister, **Mimi**. We will be watching over you during your field trip, to make sure none of you get in trouble or in danger. If you have any questions, I suggest you ask them now."

"Yeah, I got a few questions," Jean shouted, raising his hand high, "but it's mostly stuff like what the hell are you guys talking about?! Oh! And when the hell are we going home?!"

"Are we going to be able to contact our family any time soon?" Katsumi added, raising his own hand as well. "My mom and dad might get worried about me, especially since they never heard of this field trip or anything."

"Yeah! I need to get back to my dad too!" Clara agreed. "Why can't you just let us out already?!"

"'Cuz we haven't gotten to the fun part yet!" Mimi shouted back. "We've got tons of fun activities lined up for you punks, and y'all ain't leaving any time soon! Thought I already told you guys 'bout that part."

"As for contact, any and all contact with the world beyond **Kara Town** has been limited." Gigi continued, shooting a glare at her sister. "As I'm sure you can tell, all of your phones and other communications devices have been confiscated. This is to ensure you have an enriching field trip that isn't interrupted by phones or other such technology. We hope that you understand this decision."

"Well that's a load of bullshit!" Rurumi yelled. "How long are you expecting us to stay in this stupid town, forever?!" Mimi giggled, twirling a lock of black hair.

"Yep! That's the whole point of putting you guys here!" She replied. The entire group of students all fell silence and I could feel a sort of tension flare up from within us. _Did they really intend on keeping us here forever? For the rest of our lives even?_ I don't think it affected me as badly as it did with the others, since unlike them I had no clue whether or not I truly had anyone outside this town, but I still couldn't even fathom having to spend the rest of my life here. And with no chance to discover who I was before all of this either.

"...That's n-not all there is to it….is there?" Taizo speaking suddenly broke me out of my thoughts. "Y-You….You've got something else planned, don't you?"

"Man, they don't call you the Ultimate Psychologist for nothin', eh? Able to read the atmosphere ten times better than any one of these fuckers!" Mimi said, folding her arms. "Yeah, you got that right! We've got all these cool events and activities planned out for you punks! But we've got this one uber awesome thing planned for y'all! And it'll take up the entirety of your school trip! So listen up, motherfuckers! Here comes the big reveal!" She immediately pointed to Gigi, catching the other off-guard. "Take it away sis!"

"Mimi…" Gigi sighed, shaking her head. "Alright fine. Allow me to explain the rules of this trip and this event we have planned:

 _Rule 1 - Until further notice, all students are given rooms in the apartment buildings and are split into two sides._

 _Rule 2 - Students are not allowed to leave the boundaries of_ _ **Kara Town**_ _without permission from the trip supervisors._

 _Rule 3 - Each apartment is equipped with a lock that prevents the other gender from entering. The bracelet all students have been equipped with cannot unlock the opposite building._

 _Rule 4 - Curfew is at 10:00 PM. Until 8:00 AM the next morning, no student is allowed to go past the cafe._

 _Rule 5 - Any violent action taken against the trip supervisors will be punished accordingly._

 _Rule 6 - As long as students stay inside the town's boundaries, exploration is encouraged!_

 _Rule 7 - The_ _ **Graduation Clause**_

 _Rule 8 - Needless violence against any other student is prohibited._

 _Rule 9 - Rules may be added at the trip supervisors' discretion._

"A copy of the rules will be uploaded to your smart watches. Alerts will also tell you whenever we have updated our rules." Gigi continued, holding her hands behind her back. "As for our activity, it is a special sort of...game, you could say. A game of life and death, deduction, courage, and other such adjectives."

"Hell yeah! Y'all know exactly what's coming!" Mimi shouted. "This ain't no normal field trip! This is what we call a **Field Trip of Mutual Killing**!"

"A-A….A **Field Trip of Mutual Killing**?!" Hachiro cried out, backing away. "W-W-Wait, w-what does that mean?! A-Are we in danger here?!"

"Man, such a boring reaction to something like that." Mimi sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Freak out all you want, but that's what this whole dealio is called. We're playing a **killing game** for the rest of this trip!"

"And what does this killing game entail?" Raiko asked, stuffing his hands into his pants' pockets. "Does it have something to do with that **Graduation Clause** you mentioned in the rules?" Gigi made a _ding-ding-ding_ sort of noise, nodding curtly.

"Correct, Mr. Kami." She said. "The **Graduation Clause** states that ' _There is only one way for a student to end the_ _ **Field Trip of Mutual Killing**_ _and be freed from the town. If that student can_ _ **kill**_ _one of their classmates and get away with it, they shall be allowed to leave._ '. In short, the only way any of you can escape is if **you murder someone else in this class**." It felt like this doll had dropped a bombshell among us, causing literally all of us to fall silent in response.

 _T-To get out….one needs to...murder someone else?_ I thought to myself, scanning the faces of those closest to me. _But...t-that can't happen….right? Nobody would actually be willing to kill….just to get out of here….would they?_ Many of the others must've been thinking the same as well, shooting a few others a suspicious glance. I even found myself doing the same, quickly stopping and rubbing at my arm in discomfort. _No...this can't actually be happening….it just can't! This has to be some sort of...of joke!_

"Heeheeheehee! Man, you can already taste the despair coming off these guys!" Mimi giggled, directing my attention to her once more. "I can't wait to see which one of these bastards ends up dead first!"

"You two, may I ask one question?" Nizu spoke up, rather sharply, as she held up a hand. "You mention that needless violence is prohibited. Are there any forms of murder we are barred from commiting? Or are we free to kill in whichever way we want?"

"Girl, are you even listening to yourself?!" Jean blurted out, looking at her in complete disbelief. "You seriously can't be considering killing someone else!" Nizu gave a huff, but didn't reply, instead looking expectantly at Gigi and Mimi.

"At least one of you is a go-getter." Gigi muttered, shaking her head. "But to answer your question, you can kill in any which way you want. If you are inflicting violence upon someone without the intent of murder, however, you are breaking one of the rules and will be punished accordingly."

"Yep! You can drown 'em, stab 'em, shoot 'em if you got the gun," Mimi said, counting off the ways on her fingers, "uh...let's see, strangle 'em, beat 'em senseless, push 'em off a building, you name it girlfriend! Nothing's off-limits at all! The important part is you don't get caught doing it! Pull off the perfect crime and you'll be allowed to go free, super simple, am I right?" She began laughing, especially as the rest of us all exchanged worried glances.

It was truly then when it dawned on me. We weren't all invited to the Cidea Academy for Future World Leaders to inspire hope for the future and better ourselves. No…

We had been invited to experience pure, utter fear and despair.

* * *

 ** _Students Introduced_**

 ** _Student 15 - Kotetsu Nyanta, Ultimate Test Subject (_** _Colton989 **)**_

 _ **Student 16 - Hachiro Yamamato, Ultimate Rhythm Gamer (** tsunanami17 **)**_

* * *

 ** _Students Alive - 16_**

 ** _Students Dead - 0_**

* * *

 ** _End of Prologue_**

* * *

 ** _Boom, last part of the prologue out just a few days after the third. I was feeling really into the writing mood and, since I only had to introduce two characters this time around, this chapter is shorter than the others. Plus, I also really wanted to introduce Gigi and Mimi, since I'm so far having a bunch of fun just writing for Mimi and her little foul mouth._**

 ** _Anyways, those two are basically the Monokuma of this story. As much as I do love Monokuma's dialogue and can see how much of a joy he is to write, I wanted to try something different, instead using twin dolls in his place. Besides, I did try to keep some monochrome design elements with Gigi and Mimi, and I'm sure everyone knows what I'm talking about with that. Hope you guys are okay with this decision anyways and that y'all enjoy them anyways!_**

 ** _Final note, I also will be taking a small break, only to figure what FTEs I'll be doing first, how to introduce the first motive and stuff, and other such things for the first chapter. The first part of the first chapter should be up sometime in November, that is if I don't suddenly want to write like no tomorrow and manage to finish it up in the last few days of October we have left. Lol. So, let me know again if I've gotten anything else wrong and I'll fix it right away, thank you all for the wonderful reviews and I'm super glad you all are enjoying it so far! Ah! And I can't wait to see you all in the next post! Bye!_**

 ** _UPDATE: I currently have a strawpoll up to decide which FTEs I should be doing first! Here is the link, right here!_** ** _www|strawpoll|me/16746348 (Replace the | with . and you'll be good). I'll be doing 4 FTEs the begin with and keep in mind that not every character will be available for free time, mostly for reasons concerning uh...death or other such plot reasons. For now though, every character is available, so vote for whoever you want! See you all once I finish Chapter 1!_**


	6. Chapter 1: Things Seen In The Dark - 1

**_Two FTEs this time around, for Kasane and Jean! Voting is still going on, so make sure to vote while you still got the chance!_**

* * *

 _Day 2_

 _BEGIN_

* * *

I bolted upright, panicking for a moment before taking a deep breath. It took me a few seconds to remember everything that had happened and where exactly I was. And immediately afterwards, I wish I didn't.

 _The_ _ **Field Trip of Mutual Killing**_ _….a_ _ **Killing Game**_ _…._ I frowned thinking about it. _And we're truly still trapped within this place….Of course...it would've been too easy if this all was just a simple dream….this is too frighteningly real._ After the announcement made by the dolls, we all split up. I wasn't too sure were the others had gone, as I had gone straight to my room to just mull over everything. At one point, I suppose I fell asleep right where I sat, which happened to be the couch in my room.

I quickly made a mental note not to try that again, rubbing my back slightly with a grimace. I also made sure to check the time, discovering it was about 7:45 in the morning. That curfew Gigi mentioned before must still be in effect. At least it gave me time to get ready before I finally decided to head out.

I first headed right to the bathroom, slipping off my gloves and facemask along the way. I figured I might as well take a shower before heading down. Besides, my hair looked like a mess anyways and probably needed a good wash. Hell, I couldn't even remember the last time I had washed it, or even taken a shower for that matter.

 _Another major problem when dealing with amnesia, I suppose…._ I sighed, shaking my head and reaching over to turn the shower on. However, when I did so, no water came gushing out. _Are you kidding me? Why isn't it working?_

"'Cause it's still during curfew, dumbass!"

I yelped, jumping back and spinning to the door. Sure enough, there stood Mimi, arms on her hips. She continued walking in, somehow managing to jump onto the counter in a single leap.

"H-How did you-" I stuttered, caught off guard. Mimi just laughed it off, jerking a thumb towards the door.

"You sure are lucky, girl. I wouldn't be able to sleep in a place like this without my door locked!" She explained. I wanted to bite my lip in response, remembering ruefully that I really hadn't cared about making sure my door was locked last night. "But whatever. I know sis didn't mention it before, but all water to this building is kinda sorta shut off from 11:00 to 8, basically around the same time as curfew."

"Why on earth wouldn't you mention that?" I asked, more than a little annoyed at this point. "It seems like an important thing to mention. Is this in the rules?!" Mimi pouted, putting a finger to her chin before grumbling.

"Fuck, no it ain't." She muttered, before she pulled out a small, phone-like device. "Hang on! Give me a sec and I'll update this bitch!" My watch suddenly buzzed, alerting me to a change in the rules.

 _Rule 4 has been updated: Curfew is at 10:00 PM. Water to the apartment buildings is also shut off at 11:00 PM. Until 8:00 AM of the next morning, no student is allowed to go past the cafe. The water will also be turned on once more at 8:00 AM._

"Welp! That's all I really wanted to tell ya!" Mimi said, stuffing the object back into some hidden pocket of her dress. "Oh, and to also teach ya a lesson 'bout lockin' your doors. After all, in the midst of a Killing Game you can't trust anybody~! Any one of these motherfucker's could take advantage of ya and stab ya right in the back, both metaphorically and literally!" She laughed to herself, jumping down and landing like a child. "Welp! See ya, bitch!"

I just watched, mouth slightly agape as I just watched this all happen. I didn't even make a move when Mimi just walked out, only snapping out of it once I heard the door slam close. And when that did happen, all I did in response was groan and run a hand through my hair.

"I guess that shower will have to wait…" I muttered, grabbing my gloves and face mask. I quickly put them back on as I went for my room's door, also putting my jacket on along the way. For the time being, it might be a better idea to just swallow my suspicions and face the others. I wasn't sure how many people were even up at this hour, but figured there would be at least a few people down by the cafe.

There was nobody in the lobby of the building. Again, I assumed the reason for this being that some of the others were asleep or were down by the cafe. Outside, however, I did actually meet up with someone outside. Standing by one of the many little gardens in the courtyard stood Raiko, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the same cigarette he had been holding when I first met him. I distinctly saw his eyes quickly glance over to me as I walked closer, but he otherwise tried to keep up the pretense that he either didn't see me coming or just didn't care.

"Good morning, Raiko." I eventually said, nodding as I finally came closer. "I didn't take you for a morning person...if I'll be honest."

"I could say the same about you, miss." Raiko said, smiling slightly. "Going down to the cafe, I'm assuming? There's not too many up at this hour."

"I figured." I replied. "Is that where you are going as well?" He shrugged, placing the cigarette into his mouth silently.

"...Eventually. I'm keeping an eye out for now. You never know who'll be the first to snap." He said after a brief moment of silence. "If anyone is planning something, then I'll be sure to put a stop to it. Just go eat and relax for now." I hesitated, trying to get some kind of read on him before I finally gave up and began heading back for the cafe as well. Even if he might be a hitman, Raiko at least seemed somewhat trustworthy. Or at least, I hoped he was.

"Yo! Jiji!" Someone yelled as soon as I entered. I quickly recognized it as Jean, who was sitting at a table with Katsumi and an asleep Naoki and who was also waving like a madman to get my attention. Kasane and Bonnie sat at a different table that wasn't too far from them, where Bonnie seemed to be having a very, very one-sided conversation. I couldn't see him, but I figured that Yuri must've been in the kitchen as well, possibly making more coffee.

"Good morning. There's more people here than I expected." I greeted them, walking over and taking a seat with them. "Do you know if anyone else would be coming?"

"Not Edmund, that's for sure." Katsumi replied, rubbing his shoulder slightly. "I figured that since he's a general, he'd be up early normally. And...well, I was right. Thing is, he also apparently gets really touchy and grouchy in the morning and….rudely declined my offer to come join us for breakfast."

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Jean said, leaning back in his chair. "Dude seems like a dick if you ask me. How much you wanna bet he's gonna be the first one to snap and kill? 10 bucks? Or...er...however much that is over here."

"That would be over 1000 yen, and that's merely an estimate." I said. "And...you're acting far too carefree about this. We are essentially in a hostage situation and told our only escape is murder. Yet you wish to make...bets?"

"Finding some light in an otherwise hopeless situation. I suppose that's one way of dealing with it." Katsumi said, as Jean simply shrugged. "It's not a bad strategy but….that isn't exactly going to help with the situation we're in...Is it?"

"And staying depressed is supposed to?" Jean shot right back. "We can't lose hope yet! Someone's gotta come for us soon!" He stood up, glancing around quickly before he slammed his fist into his open palm. "I'm gonna go get some breakfast, bros! You guys want me to get anything?"

"I can get it myself later…" Katsumi said, just waving it aside. "What about you guys? Denjii? Naoki?"

"I will be fine for now." I replied. "But….as for Naoki," I reached across the table and tapped the sleeping aromatherapist's shoulder several times, eventually having to give him a small shake this time around. "Naoki, did you want anything for breakfast?"

"Mmmm...I-I don't...mind…" He mumbled, not even lifting his head up this time. "...W-Whatever's available...I-I'm fine with…." And just like that, he was asleep once more. I couldn't help but scratch my head slightly at this, but decided not to question it just yet.

"Thanks for narrowing down the specifics, man." Jean said, although I was unsure if he was being sarcastic or not. "But whatever! I got ya man!" The Ultimate Rapper began walking for the kitchen, yelling out a greeting to Bonnie and Kasane as he passed them.

"Jean is very gung-ho, wouldn't you say?" Katsumi commented, leaning on the table with his left arm (again making me think his right shoulder was injured). "It's admirable...he's able to keep such a level head about all of this."

"Agreed." I simply said back. Before either of us could say anything more, I felt my bracelet suddenly begin buzzing. The same could be said for everyone else's, as I caught a glimpse of Kasane glancing to her wrist and heard Naoki start back awake once he felt it.

Looking down to it as well, I watched as a symbol appeared for a brief minute, before it showed Gigi sitting at a desk surrounded by many computers. Her voice began coming from the speakers, although I couldn't tell if her mouth was moving on-screen to match.

" _Attention all students. Curfew is now over. You may proceed past the cafe as you please. Let's make today another wonderful day!_ " She simply said, before it all turned off once more.

"Curfew is over….I guess I shall be taking my leave…." Kasane suddenly said, standing. "It was….interesting talking with you, Miss Matsushita….but I must be going…."

"Oi! What's so important ya already gotta high-tail it on outta here?" Bonnie said, rather indignantly. Kasane didn't say anything, instead continuing on by walking for the door. The Ultimate Cowgirl only huffed, crossing her arms. "Bah, whatever. Be like that then, ya harum scarum." I frowned under my mask, telling myself that I'll need to follow after her later, just to check if she was really ok.

But I'd have to wait for now. After all, I still needed to eat breakfast.

* * *

 _Free Time_

 _BEGIN_

* * *

 **Kasane**

After I finished my breakfast, I immediately bid goodbye to Katsumi and Naoki (only Katsumi replied back, given that Naoki was still asleep). I decided to begin looking for Kasane, trying to figure out where exactly a Kendo Practitioner would go in a place like this. It took me a while, but I eventually found her in the general store, leafing through the small book section of the store.

She seemed to be, interestingly enough, looking through the manga section, pulling out an old, worn book and quickly skimming over the pages. I stopped a bit a ways from her, craning my neck a small bit just to try and read what the book said.

"If you….wanted to read…." Kasane suddenly said, making me jump a small bit. "Then...you could've just said something...I wouldn't mind."

"A-Ah, I'm terribly sorry, Kasane…" I said quickly, rubbing my arm. "After you left, I got worried. So I went to check on you and I…" Kasane didn't make any other movement, instead flipping the page. "Er...May I ask what you are reading?"

"Shinakoi….It's one of my favorite mangas…." She replied. "It's about a very skilled kendo fighter who hears of a duo of dojo destroyers….she ends up deciding that she should defend her own dojo against them and…." She slammed the book shut as she seemingly realized she had begun rambling a bit. "A-Ah….I-I apologize, Miss Tokunaga...I did not mean to speak for so long...Shinakoi is merely one of my favorite manga and I-"

"Kasane, it's fine, you don't need to worry." I cut across, waving it aside. "It truly does sound like you enjoy this manga. I'm guessing you don't get to talk about it too often?" Kasane nodded, turning to me while holding her book close to her chest.

"Mm...I don't...I am often busy." She explained. "Much of my time is mostly taken up by my kendo practice...My instructor tells me it's important to practice every day….otherwise my skills will fall behind and I will eventually lose my title as Ultimate Kendo Practitioner…." I frowned slightly, thinking back to when we had first met. I had gotten this sense that her title of Ultimate Kendo Practitioner meant nothing to her. And yet, here she was, telling me all about how she would train everyday just to keep her title. Part of me thought of asking her about it, but I decided against it.

"May I hear more about this manga?" I asked, tilting my head. Kasane gave a small start, turning her face up towards mine a small bit. "You sounded so happy talking about it before. I'd love to hear more about it, if you don't mind." She bit her lower lip for a moment, her grip on the book tightening.

"...If you really are that interested then…" She finally said. "Then….I'll be happy to! They also have the first volume here so...i-if you want to read it, then I'm sure those dolls won't mind if you take it…"

 _We both sat in the aisle as Kasane described most of Shinakoi. I made sure to listen intently as she did so._

I noticed a few other things about her as I listened. Unlike before, she seemed to let her more excited and enthusiastic side shine through. Her entire face, although her eyes remained firmly closed, lit up as she described the main character and some of the plot points. I was also getting the sense that she possibly could still see, but instead only chose to keep her eyes closed the whole time. I couldn't see a reason in this, especially since I would imagine kendo requiring someone to see.

"...and that's as far as I've read….I'm afraid…." Kasane suddenly broke me out of my thoughts, folding her hands neatly on her lap. "I wonder if we will be allowed to explore the rest of this place...there might be a bookstore. I only have the last volume to finish…."

"I'm sure we'll be allowed there soon. If so...I may want to catch up on it as well." I commented, giving her a smile until I remembered she kept her eyes closed. "How did you even come across such a manga? I thought you said earlier that you were always busy with your practice."

"Ah...I did say that...didn't I?" Kasane said, putting a finger to her chin. "Well….I started my training when I was 6...but I was always interested in kendo since I was very young. I found out about Shinakoi back then and I managed to convince my parents to buy me the first copy….It was around the same time I began practicing that I got around to the second volume…" She began tugging at the sleeve of her haori, rather nervously as well. "I….I think I managed to get around to the third one when Cidea accepted me….I'm afraid I can't remember too well…" She paused for a moment, before holding out the book for me, her cheeks puffed out slightly. "Miss Tokunaga….if it does not bother you, then will you accept this?"

"Er….are you sure about this, Kasane?" I asked, eyes darting from Kasane's face to the book hesitantly. She only nodded, holding it out as if she was insisting I took it. "I...see. Thank you very much, Kasane."

 ** _Kasane and I grew a little closer today._**

* * *

 **Jean**

Kasane and I stayed for about an hour longer, where we read through a good portion of the volume. Eventually, however, she excused herself and said that she had planned on going to practice for a bit. I instead decided I should try and read more, heading to the courtyard. There were a few people hanging out there, but I just avoided them. I just headed right for one of the small gardens, sitting with my back against the stone pot.

Just as I opened the book, however, I heard someone calling for me. Or, more like someone was calling me by a nickname.

"Yo! Jiji!" I looked up, only to see Jean running towards me and waving. "I've been lookin' all ova for ya, girl! Where have you been?"

"Ah, I was talking with Kasane." I explained, setting the volume down besides me. "What did you need me for, Jean? Is it something important?" Jean made a 'sort of' gesture, shrugging slightly.

"Ehhhhhh….Kinda? Just need ya to come with me." He said. "You up to it? Just thought it might be a nice thing, y'know to take our minds off all this shit." I paused for a few seconds, hand twitching on the volume. ...Hmm...I suppose I could help him out. I figured, standing once more. I also stowed away the book in my jacket, before I began to follow Jean back down the road once more.

It turns out Jean wanted to make good on that promise he made when we were all still introducing ourselves. He took me to the plaza, practically ordering for me to sit down as he dug around in his pockets for...something. I just watched, trying not to burst out laughing in the meantime.

"Oh come on! Did those things take my pocket mic?!" Jean yelled, frustratedly. "I can understand my phone, but my fucking pocket mic?!"

"Do you mean...your pocket microphone?" I asked, on the verge of covering my mouth as if I didn't have a facemask hiding my smile. "I'm only assuming you wish to put on some kind of performance, to show off your talent, correct?"

"Yep, you got it sista." Jean replied with a grin, before throwing his hands into the air. "Fuck. My mic wouldn't have been plugged into anything either, so I wouldn't have been loud! Whatever, I can still rap just as good without it! Let's rock, Jiji!"

 _I sat and listened as Jean began rapping at an incredible speed. I think I truly understand why he's called the Ultimate Rapper now, I've never quite heard someone speak that fast before._

As Jean finished his final verse, I began clapping, preferably as hard as I could to show the proper enthusiasm. Jean merely laughed, stumbling over his words at the end as he rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly.

"That was excellent, Jean." I said as he walked a bit closer. "Were you always able to talk that fast or did you have to learn it?"

"Nah. Always felt like a natural talent, y'know?" He explained, plopping down on the bench directly next to me. "I mainly just used to rap to pass the time or vent and whatever. Helped me a lot in middle school. Those years were the fucking worst."

"I'm guessing you didn't exactly enjoy your time back in your home country?" I asked, tilting my head a small bit. Jean thought about for a bit, before shaking his head with a grin.

"Actually...as bad as middle school was, I still enjoyed my time back in the ol' U.S, believe it or not." He eventually said. "Didn't grow up back there, I probably wouldn't be the same cool dude you see here. Hell, I don't even think I'd be the Ultimate Rapper. I'd probably be the **Ultimate Most-Boring-Dude-On-The-Planet** , or somethin' like that."

"I believe that your talent must've been innate. Not just anyone can become quite the same rapper like you." I pointed out. However, he only gave me a questioning look, to which I responded with; "I mean...your talent as a rapper may also be just something natural. A talent you were born with."

"Huh….Never really thought about it that way." Jean said, nodding slowly. "Guess that'd be a better way of lookin' at it." He gave me a grin once more. "Thanks for helpin' me see it that way then, I guess! You're pretty cool in that way, Jiji!"

 _I...guess I'm glad to have met Jean. Although I can't say this is the most ideal of situations._ I thought, nodding in reply. _But...at least he makes me feel like we'll be able to live through this. And for that, I will forever be thankful._

 ** _Jean and I grew a bit closer today._**

* * *

We hung around in the town square for most of the day, greeting whoever happened to walk in. Eventually, Jean and I parted ways and I was free to read the manga Kasane had given me. Or at least, that's what I thought. My bracelet suddenly began buzzing with what looked like another announcement from Gigi, although this certainly wasn't an announcement about curfew.

"Attention all students. This is an official announcement from your trip supervisors. We need your presence in the town square. Please make your way there or else suffer the consequences. That is all. Thank you!"

Gigi's voice was cut off with a jaring crackle of static, to which I only sighed in response. Another announcement? What on earth do these things have planned for us? I wondered, beginning to make my way to the town square once more. Does this have anything else to do with….this Killing Game they mentioned? From what I can tell, nobody has since tried to murder anyone, which I guess is a good sign.

I shook my head, picking up the pace. No, I can't keep worrying about that. I'd better just get over there as quickly as I can…. I told myself. Just….stay positive for now. Stay positive!

After all, staying positive was supposed to work in such a hopeless situation like this, right?

* * *

 ** _And here we begin Chapter 1, Things Seen In The Dark! I'm super excited to get this show on the road! I also have two more FTEs planned for this chapter as well. Possibly even a third FTE if I decide to do it. This is also a good idea to say that I still have that poll up for which FTE I should do next, although it should be obvious that I won't be doing Kasane or Jean again. Here's the link if you need it, just remember to replace the | with .:_** ** _www|strawpoll|me/16746348/r_**

 ** _Anyways, same stuff as always! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!_**


	7. Chapter 1: Things Seen In The Dark - 2

**_Two more FTEs and time for another announcement from everyone's favorite two trip supervisors! I also do think I'll be doing one more FTE before the murder finally happens. We'll be talking more with Katsumi and Edmund this time 'round, and I'll have a bit more to say at the end of this chapter. Until then, enjoy!_**

* * *

By the time I had gotten to the town square, a good number of the other students were already gathered there. The two dolls were nowhere in sight, but I could already guarantee they'd show up sometime soon.

"The hell they want us for now…" I overheard Rurumi mutter, most likely making it to the courtyard behind me. "I was just about to start training too…"

"Well, obviously they're planning something...And I've got a bad feeling as to what." Raiko responded, who was leaning against the wall right next to the entrance and looking as shady as ever. "Stay on your toes, kids. Those things have something up their sleeves."

"Geez, don't think we need to act that suspicious." Yuri pointed out with a shrug. "I bet these things are gonna just tell us we can finally go home, dude. No big deal."

"Being trapped in a town such as this with two potentially murderous robots and 15 potential criminals is a 'big deal', cadet Henajisan." Edmund snapped. "It is much better for us to comply with these strange robots for the time being. In fact, I am ordering! All cadets must now follow this new rule put in place!"

"...Huh? Is that dick still spouting off useless crap?" Rurumi said, scratching behind her head. "Sorry, drifted off for a second. Didn't sound like anything important anyways. Just sounded like a load of bullshit to me."

"Hey now, it's not nice to say things like that!" Kotetsu said, whom I now noticed as holding back a very angry Edmund with just one hand. "We should keep trying to get along! There's no point in fighting like this!"

"I'm agreein' with kitty boy here!" Bonnie piped up. However, just as she looked like she was about to say more, the fountain exploded in two huge columns of water, revealing Gigi and Mimi standing on the fountain once more.

"Is this everyone?" Gigi asked, silencing everyone once more as she began counting the heads. "Hmm...I believe we do have everyone here. Excellent. Then we can proceed in a very nice, timely fashion. Right on schedule as well." She cleared her throat, holding her hands behind her back. "I'm sure you all are curious as to why we have gathered you here today. You see-"

"Y'all are fuckin' boring as shit." Mimi said sharply, cutting her sister off. "I mean, you're just talking and hanging out with each other like nothing's wrong! Where's your killer instinct?! Just fuckin' murder someone already!"

"Well...that's rather blunt, isn't it?" Katsumi simply said, putting a hand to his chin. "Did you consider the reason we might not want to murder anyone?"

"It...crossed our minds once or twice." Gigi admitted. "However, given the roster of students, including the Ultimate Hitman of all people," She even pointed right to Raiko for emphasis, "one would expect someone to murder already. And yet, none of you have shown signs of wanting to take us up on our offer. Rather disappointing, I must say."

"E-Er….i-if I may…." Taizo spoke up, shakily raising his hand. "I-I think it would take much longer t-than a day to convince us to m-murder. M-Maybe you can wait for a few d-days and-"

"Shut the hell up, Dr. Psycho!" Mimi yelled, making Taizo jump back a small bit with a yelp. "We're the trip supervisors here, last time I checked! We're the ones makin' the rules and decidin' what to do!"

"At my sister's….insistence, we decided to introduce our first **motive** a few days earlier than planned." Gigi said, looking as if it was taking all her willpower not to push her sister into the waters below. "I would listen up, all of you, for this **motive** affects you all."

As if on cue, I heard a simultaneous beeping all coming from our bracelets. Looking down, all I saw was a red screen that simply said "Alert, Rules have been updated.". And part of me just couldn't believe what I saw after somehow managing to open said alert.

 _A new rule has been added:_

 _Rule 10 - Students are **not allowed to sleep anywhere within the town limits**. If any student is found sleeping at any time, a shock shall be administered via their bracelet. **This rule will be lifted only when a murder has occured**._

"You're literally taking away our right to sleep?!" Clara was the first of all of us to react, glaring back up at the dolls with a fury I don't think I've ever seen before. "You bastards! How dare you!"

"T-This is bad….f-following prolonged periods without sleep…" Taizo was muttering under his breath, just loud enough for anyone near him to hear (And I just so happened to be one of those lucky few people). "M-Many become paranoid….d-disillusioned….have periods of i-impaired judgement…."

"Yep! That's the entire point!" Mimi giggled, putting her hands behind her head and grinning widely. "Man, you sure do catch on quick, huh Dr. Psycho!" He said something even quieter under his breath. I only caught something along the lines of "P-Please stop calling me that…", but I couldn't be absolutely sure.

"As the rule states, you will all be allowed to sleep once more eventually. But," Gigi explained, nodding curtly, "that is only when a murder has been committed. Until then, I'd figure out a way to stay awake until then. Those shocks will continue in intensity every time you're caught asleep. And they truly do hurt. We don't want to paralyze ourselves, now do we?"

"That's all bitches!" Mimi said, throwing a hand in the air. "See y'all once you fuckers finally kill someone! Laters!" Completely synchronized, the two jumped off of the statue and into the water, disappearing from view. This left the rest of us stunned, all looking to each other as if to just confirm what had just happened really did happen. The silence was suddenly broken from a yawn from one of the benches.

"Mmh….t-those dolls really are...are funny, aren't they?" Naoki said, rubbing at his eyes. "F-First this whole….K...Killing Game thing….and now n-no sleeping until someone m-murders…? This has….has to be the most elaborate p...pranks I've ever s-seen…."

"You're...literally not worried about this, at all?" I found myself saying, turning to the sleepy aromatherapist. "I sincerely doubt that this is all some elaborate prank...they seem deadly serious."

"T….this school….C-Cidea, right?" He continued, looking from face to face. "T-They have tons of backers….a-and they're world famous….r-right? T-This just has to be some sort of….of joke….a-a weird way of welcoming us to the school...I mean...t-they have the...the funding to do it.….I wish they'd cut it out….I-I just want to get this year over with…."

"This seems far to elaborate just to be a prank." Nizu commented, frowning. "It would seem our best bet is to do as Raiko had said earlier, we must stay alert of our surroundings, and those we surround ourselves with, or risk death." Naoki at that point didn't seem to be paying attention, instead leaning back on the bench. I could tell what was going to happen a split second before he did.

Before he could truly fall asleep, he let out a yelp and sat, bolt upright, while looking down at his wrist. The same wrist where his bracelet had been attached.

"Great….those stupid dolls aren't kidding around…." Jean groaned, while Naoki rubbed his wrist uncomfortably. "We really can't sleep then? Goddammit!"

"It looks as if we are in for a few boring nights…." Kasane muttered. "It's not as if we can...continue our search around here. Curfew prevents us from roaming past the cafe at night…."

"H-Hey! C'mon, we can't start acting all...all, erm….gloomy already!" Akari pointed out, clenching her fists. "How about this? Tonight, at around 6 or 7, we should all meet up in the cafe to have dinner together? Then we might be able to take our minds off this all!"

"Oh! I can cook a big meal for all of us!" Kotetsu chimed in, even making a low purring sound. "And we can all have fun, like friends!"

"Hell yeah! I'll help out too, man!" Rurumi agreed, pumping her fists. "I love cooking! We're gonna make the best meal you all have ever seen!"

"And I suppose we'll have to continue our search around this place then, right?" Katsumi asked, grinning. "Sounds like a plan to me. I'll gladly see you all then." Talk erupted within the group, and we all seemed to agree on meeting together for dinner that night.

Eventually, most of us dispersed, with Kotetsu and Rurumi heading for the cafe while the others seemed to spread out, I only looked down at my bracelet, slipping a glove off and tapping to the rules section of its menu. And, sure enough, there sat a rule at the very end describing this... **motive**. No one was allowed to sleep until then. I could barely imagine how long it would take then until we all became too paranoid and fearful of each other. Was someone truly going to murder someone else because of this?

I sighed and shook my head, turning the bracelet off while shaking my head. I had to trust them for now. Trust was probably the only way I was going to get through this, thinking about it now. So I slipped my glove back on once more before I began heading down the street after the others.

* * *

 _Free Time_

 _RESUME_

* * *

 **Katsumi**

I immediately decided to search through the laundromat first, which was rather convenient considering it was not far from the town plaza. At first glance, it didn't look like there was anyone else inside. I was about to begin searching behind some of the machines when I heard rustling from the back room.

"I heard someone coming in! Hold on, give me a minute!" Katsumi's voice came from behind some of the machines, seconds before he peered around the corner. "Ah, Denjii! You're looking around the laundromat as well?"

"Mhm." I nodded, beginning to walk closer. "Er….you're fine with that, right? I don't wish to intrude or make you feel uncomfortable." He gave a small laugh, adjusting his cap slightly.

"I...don't quite see how I could feel uncomfortable if someone was here, but you really don't need to worry about it." He said. "There's a room in the back I don't think anyone has explored yet. Want to venture into there together?"

"I don't have a problem with that at all." I said. "Let us explore together, then."

 _Katsumi and I explored the back room of the laundromat. We couldn't find anything useful for escape, however. Only a lot of cleaning supplies and things I suppose would be useful in fixing clothing._

"At least we won't need to worry if our clothes rip." I commented, placing back a sewing kit I had been inspecting. "They really do expect us to live here for a while...don't they…." Katsumi didn't answer. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly, turning to try and find him.

The Ultimate Fisherman was standing by another shelf, unwinding one of the spools of thread and examining it closely. I abandoned the shelf I had been searching, trying to look over his shoulder the best I could. I couldn't tell at all what was so important about a single thread, or at least so important that Katsumi was focusing all his attention on it. Eventually, I just ended up tapping his shoulder, merely giving him a questioning look.

"Hm? Ah, sorry, did you need something, Denjii?" He asked, quickly winding the thread up once more.

"I was simply curious as to what you were looking at." I replied, before gesturing to the thread. "Is there any reason why this piece of thread seems so important to you? It doesn't look...unusual, or out of the ordinary."

"This? No, it's completely ordinary. It's just that…" He said, rubbing at the back of his neck. "I don't have any of my fishing equipment. I practically turned my room upside down searching for something. But I couldn't find a thing." He held up the thread once more, tapping the side of his head. "I figured I should try to make my own rod. This thread might be...kind of strong enough. I can't tell right now."

"You're able to create your own rods?" I said, blinking in surprise. "I suppose I should expect nothing less from the Ultimate Fisherman. I merely thought your talent extended to catching the fish. I should've guessed that your talent would also extend to handling your equipment as well."

"Heh...I guess a lot of people think that way." Katsumi said. "Fishing is more about your luck and the equipment you used. That's what my dad would always tell me, at least. He's the one who taught me to make fishing rods in the first place…" A frown crossed his face for a moment as he simply looked down at the thread, running his thumb across it slowly. "...I hope both my parents are doing alright…."

"I'm...sure they're just fine." I said, putting my hand on his shoulder and hoping I sounded sincere. I wasn't sure how to properly express my sentiments, considering I personally couldn't relate. I had no clue if I even had parents outside of this place, so I could only imagine how worried Katsumi must be for them. Or how worried his parents must be about him.

"Ah...I'm sorry, Denjii." Katsumi suddenly said, taking a small step and moving my hand off his shoulder. That same grin was on his face once more, as if he was trying to assure me that he was fine. "I was just getting a bit too worried. We need to focus on the present. I'm going to go to the courtyard." His hand tightened around the spool of thread, before he slipped it into his vest pocket. "There might be a sturdy branch or stick there that I can use for this rod. I might as well see if I still know how to make a decent rod."

"I see...Take care then, Katsumi." I said, nodding. He returned the nod and began walking back out. I waited until he was far enough away, so that he couldn't hear me, before saying; "It was a pleasure speaking with you. I look forwards to the next time we speak."

 **Katsumi and I grew a little closer today.**

* * *

 **Edmund**

I left the laundromat not far behind Katsumi, deciding I might as well just retreat into my room until dinner. However, the instant I stepped outside, I heard someone shouting for me. And they sounded rather upset, as well.

"Tokunaga! There you are!"

I spun around, somehow not surprised to see it was Edmund stomping towards me. I couldn't quite tell if he was mad, as his face was completely expressionless and harsh. He stopped just in front of me, immediately standing at attention as he scanned me quickly.

"Did you need something, Edmund?" I asked, tilting my head. The Ultimate General didn't respond for a few minutes, before I saw his mouth thin ever so slightly.

"I have been looking for you ever since that announcement." He eventually said. "I want you to accompany me in my search through the plaza. And that is an order from your commanding officer as well, so you are not allowed to decline!"

I don't think that's exactly how you ask someone to search with them… I thought, biting back a snappy retort. Whatever, I wasn't going to do anything else anyways. I might as well help him in his search. I merely nodded, but Edmund had already begun walking towards the square. I held back a sigh and sprinted to catch up with him, although he barely reacted seeing this.

 _Edmund had me searching every nook and cranny of the town plaza. In fact, I'm not even sure if Edmund helped me search at all. The most I saw of him was him standing around ordering me!_

I dusted off my hands, taking a deep breath as I straightened once more. That had to have been the last bench, and yet part of me expected Edmund to find some other bench to duck underneath. I'm not even entirely sure what he had been expecting underneath benches like these. Some kind of hidden switch that could open the gates?

"Hmph...Nothing. Damn bastards really thought of everything…." I heard Edmund muttering behind me. "Once I get my hands on the one responsible for this….I'll….I'll-!"

"I don't quite think getting angry will help us." I pointed out, rather bluntly, as I turned around to face him. "In fact, you acting this angry may only harm us even more. Before you know it, you may be dead, or have been pushed towards murder as those dolls planned-"

It all happened so fast, I barely had time to process it.

Before I knew it, I had been hoisted off of my feet by the collar of my sweater, Edmund's green eyes glaring right back into mine. I felt myself take in a sharp breath, but otherwise used all my willpower to not show any fear whatsoever. He held me there for a couple of minutes, before making a "tch" sound and setting me down once more.

"You'd do well to curb your tongue, cadet Tokunaga." Edmund hissed. "I've dealt with many who underestimate my strength. And I refuse to be underestimated like that ever again. I refuse to be seen as weak, no less from a cadet such as you." Giving me a final glare, he turned, with a rather overdramatic swish of his cape, and began walking back down the street, almost definitely in a very bad mood if he wasn't before.

Geez...talk about anger issues. I thought scathingly. He'll really need to learn how to control that temper. But...I wonder what he meant about being underestimated. Does he think I saw him as weak? I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Gah...I'll have to ask him about it once he's calmed down a bit. I don't think I'll be able to even have a civil conversation with him at this rate.

 **I...think Edmund and I grew a bit closer today?**

* * *

After making sure I had calmed down after my encounter with Edmund, I quickly checked the time only to realize it was about 6 pm, the same time we had all agreed to meet for dinner. I dusted myself once more before beginning to make my way down to the cafe. Just as before with the announcement, many of the other students had already gathered. And I noticed there were several plates of food already set up on one of the bigger tables there.

Rurumi was standing close to the door, sometimes shouting over her shoulder while addressing Kotetsu, who would answer back as if he had heard her clearly. Kotetsu, on the other hand, seemed to be inside the kitchen, probably making even more food by the second. I waved to her before grabbing my own plate and some of the food already set out, taking a seat at a table with Katsumi, Kasane, and Raiko, who was actually the only one of us without a food plate. Instead, he continued to keep his cigarette in his mouth, almost sucking on it like it was a lollipop.

The cafe was filled with animated chatter this time around, growing in volume as more and more people arrived. It was a very good way of taking our minds off of...well, everything. The fact we were forced into this Killing Game, or that Gigi and Mimi were going to literally deprive us of sleep until someone murdered someone else. It just felt like we were a large group of high school students, just enjoying an evening out as friends. Seeing this game me a glimmer of hope, since if we were already acting this friendly after only a day, it was possible that someone wouldn't murder even after all this pushing. The two dolls might even let us go if that happened!

My optimistic thoughts were cut short as Rurumi suddenly stood on one of the chairs, as Kotetsu emerged from the kitchen as well.

"Yo! Can I get everyone's attention real quick?" She called, waving one of her hands. "So! I know we're all having fun and gettin' so great food in us, right? Well, I thought we could talk about some serious subjects and get those out of the way. Like...er…" She glanced back down to Kotetsu, almost giving him a pleading look.

"Like...Oh! Rurumi pointed this out earlier to me, but we don't exactly have set times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, right?" Kotetsu continued, clapping his massive hands together with a smile. "Well, what if we set our own times? Then we can all gather together and talk about our day!"

"And during dinner, we can give each other information 'bout what we found this time around!" Rurumi added. "Basically, win-win deal, eh?"

"That's not a bad idea...It would also make sure everyone is together just in case…" Kasane trailed off, but it was clear what she was referring to. "I don't see any problem with this…."

"Having a set time for meals is all well and fine...but what about these stupid things?" Clara said, holding up her bracelet. "Is there any way we can take these off? We might be able to end this stupid motive, or whatever those things called it, early."

"Mmm...I-I wish that were the case…." Naoki said, looking even more tired than usual. "I….I tried doing it earlier wh….when the one of...of t-the dolls came all of a sudden….it was the...um…" He frowned, rubbing at his temple with both hands in an attempt to remember. "...Mh! The...the rude one...the really loud and rude one…."

"Mimi. She certainly seems to be the more active of the two." Raiko confirmed. "It's probably one of those unwritten rules. I don't think **we'll be taking off these bracelets any time soon**. Unless we want to face whatever punishment they have for us."

"Urghhh! I hate this so much!" Clara hissed, holding her head in her hands. "Why us?! And why make us play such a stupid game if they want us dead! Just kill us outright and get it over with!"

"Torture." Nizu said simply from her own, lone table. "They kidnapped us for the sole purpose of torturing us, most likely. Perhaps there may be a second reason, but that remains a mystery to us." Her eyes travelled over all of us, as her mouth curved into a frown. "I think it would be safe to assume we'll find said second reason by exploring. After all, why else would exploration be so encouraged."

" _Can we get back on track_." Edmund said sharply, making Nizu almost immediately shut up. "If I may, I have another suggestion if we are going to be brainstorming like this."

"Go right on ahead, Edmund!" Kotetsu said quickly, before Rurumi could say something that would most likely start a fight between the two. "We're all listening, and if anyone disagrees," He even gave the kickboxer a small glare saying this, "then we'll discuss it civilaly, right?"

"Thank you, cadet Nyanta." Edmund said, standing and even giving Kotetsu a curt nod, just before he turned to the rest of us. "Troops, listen to me! I propose that until this sleeping ban is lifted, then no one is allowed outside of the apartment buildings after curfew. I would say we all remain in our rooms, but these nights will surely be long ones."

"H-He's got a point…." Taizo was the first to agree. "I-It might be better for us to remain inside...just u-until they get tired of this rule! B-But...these rules aren't going t-to be as strictly enforced as the o-ones our supervisors laid down….right?"

"Then we do this. Two soldiers from each apartment building keep watch over the entrance for a certain amount of time." Edmund continued. "They are to detail everyone who walks in and out of the building, until it is curfew. After curfew, no one is allowed out of the building and would do well to remember that. The guards are allowed to leave after 10 pm. As for who shall keep watch, I can perform said job for the boys' apartments."

"And I can take the role for the girls' apartments." Nizu offered. "I am rather good at taking count at a quick glance, and I have a notebook on me at all times," she carefully placed a hand into her skirt's pocket, pulling out a small monochrome notebook and pen, "so I will take note of where and when someone goes should they leave."

"Nice, so we got all that sorted out?" Yuri asked, leaning back in his chair as Nizu stowed her notebook away and Edmund sat back down. "Sweet. Let's get back to enjoying life for once then, shall we dudes?"

And just like that, the chatter started up once more, almost as if we hadn't discussed various measures to protect us all from possible death. It was a strange shift, I won't deny, but it almost felt….a bit welcome, if you ask me.

* * *

 _Day 2_

 _End_

* * *

 _Surviving Students:_ _ **16**_

 _Dead Students:_ _ **0**_

* * *

 ** _Boom, another part down in the books and our first motive introduced too! With that, we're going to be having one last FTE before it's murder time! I'm also so happy y'all are enjoying it so far and that you guys like the idea I was going with using Gigi and Mimi. Writing for them both is a lot of fun, although I will admit I'm enjoying Mimi just a bit more because girl has literally no filter._**

 ** _Anyways, I just now hope I can write a good murder mystery type thing following this. I guess only time will tell! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! See you all next time!_**


	8. Chapter 1: Things Seen In The Dark - 3

**_One last FTE this chapter, this time of our favorite psychologist Taizo! See you all at the end!_**

* * *

 _Day 3_

 _BEGIN_

* * *

The night felt very, very long. But, the whole not sleeping thing actually wasn't as bad as I would've thought. As long as I was just...doing something, it wasn't that hard to keep my mind off sleep. I would pace the length of my room, go out onto my balcony and wait for a few moments for a nonexistent breeze to blow through, and even sit down to read through the manga Kasane had lent me. I heard the occasional footsteps outside, but paid it no mind. The others must be just as restless, especially since we had all agreed to staying inside the building.

After what felt like years, my bracelet suddenly let out a large burst of static, making me jump slightly. Just as before, Gigi appeared on the screen, sitting neatly while surrounded by various computer monitors.

" _Attention all students. Curfew is now over. You may proceed past the cafe as you please. Let's make today another wonderful day!_ "

I took in a deep breath as my bracelet switched off, running a hand through my hair. That was only the first night, and I could only imagine it would get worse as time passed. I'll just have to find a way to deal with that when the time comes. I told myself, quickly getting ready before heading outside.

Nearly everyone was in the cafe when I made it, although I noticed the chatter was a little more subdued than before. However, it looked like Rurumi and Kotetsu had made breakfast for everyone once more, and Rurumi was at least just as energetic as usual.

"Mornin' Denjii!" She called as I entered, waving happily. "Glad ya could make it!" I called out a 'good morning' to her as well before I gathered my food.

Nobody had anything to report as of yet, although Edmund and Nizu did note that the guard system we had established the day prior was successful. Otherwise, nobody really had anything important to add. Conversations mostly boiled down to what everyone would be planning for the day and where we would be searching next. I didn't exactly pay attention, focusing more on poking at my food than speaking with the others. So I'm sure you can just imagine my surprise when someone suddenly approached me and slammed their hand down on the table right next to me.

"Oi, mind lendin' a hand to Jean and me?" It was Bonnie, looking down at me with a big grin stretched across her face. "We were plannin' on havin' a perk night, gettin' supplies from that store there. Been askin' everyone if they wanna come pertend up for the night. But I don't wanna be pullin' the leg or anything, so no pressure, ya know?"

"You're...planning on having a sort of party tonight?" I asked, my mind working quickly just to decipher what she was saying. "Who else will be coming, and where are we having this party as well?" Bonnie looked as if she was biting the inside of her cheek, most likely trying to think.

"We'll be havin' it in my room, I thinks." She finally said. "As fer who's comin, we got Akari, Clara, and Jean comin' so far. Thinkin' of askin' Rurumi next, she seems like a party gal!" Her grin grew even wider. "Might need you an' some other scoundrel to go scare up supplies from the store. You in?"

"I suppose so." I said, nodding. "This may help move the night along faster. I assume that we will be having this party after curfew?"

"Right on the spot!" Bonnie exclaimed. "We'll be havin' this ho down at 'round...hmm….let's say **11 o'clock, sharp**. You're gonna need to rustle up the supplies sometime before then!"

"Understood. I'll keep that in mind." I replied. Bonnie grinned and began walking off towards Rurumi, practically shouting at the top of her lungs at this point.

 _Hmm...A party tonight…._ I reflected, looking back down to my plate. _It is a good idea of raising morale. Especially in a time like this…_ I checked the time quickly. I still had some free time before they would need me to gather some supplies for them. I might as well try to make the most of it.

* * *

 _Free Time_

 _RESUME_

* * *

 **Taizo**

After finishing breakfast, I went to go wash my plate. No one else was in the kitchen when I first entered, which I was secretly relieved about considering I didn't want to make awkward small talk. I quickly washed the plate, pausing for a second as I suddenly heard the door open behind me.

"O-Oh! M-Miss Tokunaga!" I turned around, quickly shutting off the water. Standing in the doorway was Taizo, already nervously rubbing at his arm. "I...er...well….I-I just wanted to know if….you were going to do anything r-recently?"

"I don't have any plans, if that's what you're asking." I said, tilting my head. "Is there something you needed?" He nodded slowly, averting his gaze.

"Y-Yes….Ever since the motive was announced…." He explained, rubbing at his arm even more than before. "I-I've….been giving everyone quick check-ups...j-just to make sure we're all s-still mentally stable….L-Lack of sleep has a tendency to….w-well, lead to s-some very nasty side-effects….i-interesting side-effects but-" He suddenly shook his head, taking a deep breath before he continued; "M-My bad….I-I started rambling again….I-I just wanted to know i-if I can perform a s-small check up for you…."

I simply nodded. After all, I didn't have a lot to really do until they needed me to help them with the whole party setup. Taizo looked relieved and waved a hand for me to follow. I quickly put away the plate before following after him.

 _Taizo led me to the courtyard, where he began performing a variety of tests. He kept taking notes and muttering a lot about things I didn't quite understand. He actually took quite a while before he finally gave me my results._

"S-So...from what I can tell….you should be perfectly fine." He finally said, scratching at his cheek. "Er….O-Of course...there is the whole issue concerning a-amnesia….Are you sure you c-can't remember anything beyond w-waking up in your room?"

"Yes. I am positive." I nodded, frowning underneath my mask. "In fact...I didn't remember my name upon waking up, nor my talent. I only learned of it after checking my bracelet. It was on my file. I even wondered if it truly was my name…."

"N-No….I think it's definitely your n-name…." Taizo said. "T-The student files l-list you as such…." He took in a deep breath, looking as if he was trying his hardest to think. "...I-I'm very sorry, Denjii….I-I'm not entirely sure i-if, in our current situation, y-you'll be able to recover your memory any t-time soon…."

"Taizo...no, no. It's fine." I said, trying to wave it aside. "You're trying your best, and I understand that. Recovering my memory is something I must work out for myself. But I am grateful for your worry."

"A-Ah….I-I'm glad you feel that way…." Taizo said with a small smile. "I-I'll make sure to check i-in with you e-every so often then….I-I can't imagine what k-kind of….of f-fear you must be feeling….n-not knowing who you are or what your p-past is…" I noticed with a hint of alarm that a strange look crossed his face for a moment.

It was a look of extreme interest, almost eerily so. I even saw a slightly crazed smile flash across his face, before it returned back to that neutral, slightly worried look. I felt myself tense up slightly, but I didn't say anything.

Nizu had been right back on the first day we were here. It felt like there was something off about him.

 ** _Taizo and I grew a little closer today._**

* * *

After Taizo was satisfied with his observations, I simply went back to my room for the rest of the day. While I had quite a bit of free time before they needed me for the party, I just didn't feel like speaking with anyone else. So, I instead opted to just sit in my room and read. Once or twice, I actually felt myself drifting off before the shock from my bracelet jolted me awake once more.

Time seemed to pass slowly, and it felt like forever until it was finally time for us to gather for dinner. I once again ventured down to the cafe, finding everyone inside and even more quiet than breakfast. It was rather surprising that the effects of the motive was already taking effect, as I had figured that it would take a few days. But I suppose the stress of our situation only sped up the process.

Conversation was sparse this time around, but it wasn't like I was too upset about it. It didn't look like anyone had found anything to help us escape. I wondered for a brief moment if there really was a way out of here and if we were actually just wasting time, before I pushed it out of my mind. It did no good to think that negatively. The only way we were getting out of here was to think positively. Or at least, that's what I continued telling myself.

"Jiji! Yo, you listenin'?" I was jerked out of my thoughts by Jean, who was standing in front of me with Akari by his side. "C'mon! We're gonna go get some stuff from the store for the whole party thing. You're still comin', and Bonnie wasn't just yankin' my chain, right?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I'm sorry." I said quickly, trying to laugh it off. "Just give me a moment, I want to clean up before we head out."

"Take as much time as you need! We aren't starting until 12, after all." Akari pointed out as I gathered my plate up. "We'll be waiting by the entrance for you!" I only nodded as I hurried to the kitchen. To my surprise, Kotetsu and Rurumi were inside, seemingly making even more food for the others.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Kotetsu asked, neither of them hearing me enter. "It feels like we shouldn't be staying out this late. I mean, what if Edmund gets mad? We could get in trouble!" Rurumi rolled her eyes, slamming down a plate.

"Does it look like I give a damn about what Edmund thinks?" She asked confidently. "Listen, it ain't like we'll be out for long. Just a half hour or so after curfew. And it's for a good cause! We might as well try to keep everything cheerful."

"I dunno, Rurumi…" Kotetsu muttered, turning a spoon over in his massive hands. "I've...I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe we can just wait until morning?" Rurumi only huffed in response, turning and finally taking notice of me.

"Oh! Hey, Denjii!" She said, as if nothing was wrong. "I can take that plate if you want! You'll be heading to Bonnie's room later tonight too, right? Just tell Nizu that I'll be comin' in late, if you see her. Hobbes and I got a big plan for tomorrow morning!"

"Hobbes….?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. She only jerked a thumb back towards Kotetsu, who immediately let out an indignant "Hey!" in response. "Ah. I see. I'll make a note to tell her that. You...won't be out for long, right?"

"Nah, like I was sayin' before, it'll only be a half hour or so." She replied, stepping forwards and taking the plate from my hand. "See ya later, girl!" I bid my farewells too, before heading back out and meeting up once more with Akari and Jean.

It took us the good part of the evening following dinner to gather up enough supplies. Or, at least, enough supplies Jean deemed necessary. It was already close to 9 o'clock when we began heading back, arms full of various bottles of soda and bags of snacks. Jean made sure to tell us to grab a lot of sugary snacks, which I saw as an attempt at keeping us all awake.

We arrived at the apartment building not long after that, where Jean was the one to unlock the door for us. He was the one to lead the way back up the stairs and further up the building, stopping us on what seemed to be the third floor.

"Yo? Ni? You in there, girl?" He called. Ni? Is this Nizu's room? I wondered, squinting a small bit to catch a glimpse of the door's sign. Sure enough, there sat a miniature, 8-bit recreation of Nizu dead in the center, complete with even her little rabbit-like bow ends.

"Maybe she's still in the cafe?" Akari suggested after a few moments of silence. "Or she could've started watching for the night too. Maybe she'll be coming later?"

"I just wanted to talk with her for a sec," Jean pouted, crossing his arms as much as he could, "but if she ain't here, might as well just wait a bit longer. You two can head up to my room 'out me. Bon-Bon should be up there already." Akari nodded and began heading down the hall for the stairwell, while I hesitated for a few seconds.

"...Jean, may I ask a favor?" I finally said, making him turn to me with a questioning look. "When I went to the kitchen earlier, I overheard Rurumi and Kotetsu talking about their plans to stay after curfew. I assume Rurumi is...coming to this party, or am I wrong?"

"Nah, you right, you right." Jean nodded, frowning ever so slightly. "Guessin' you want me to mention that to Ni when I see her, yeah?" He attempted to give me a thumbs up, but nearly ended up dropping the bags he was holding. "You go catch up with Ari, 'kay? I'll be fine here, sista, you ain't gotta worry about me." I bit my lower lip, thankful for my face mask hiding my doubt, and nodded regardless.

"Of course. Thank you, Jean." I said, before I began hurrying so I can catch up with Akari. Jean shouted a goodbye as I rushed off, the sound of his voice cut off as the door to the stairs closed behind me. Akari had stopped on the landing upstairs, having noticed I had stopped a while back and was waiting for me.

An somewhat awkward silence hung over us, or at least some kind of silence. I could tell the awkwardness was coming only from Akari, who would sometimes shoot me a backwards glance here or there. But she never initiated a conversation. Of course, I didn't either, which might've been part of the problem. However, I couldn't tell for sure.

Eventually, we reached the very top of the building, stopping in front of Jean's room door. I was the one to step forwards, knocking on the door before standing back with Akari and simply waiting. There was a few seconds of silence, before I heard stomping heading right to the door just as it swung open.

"Denjii! Akari! There y'all are!" Bonnie was standing behind it, hand on the brim of her hat. She even tipped it to us as she stepped aside. "C'mon in, we just been settin' up all this time! Y'all can just set down all that junk on the counter, then ya can help us with all the settin' up and such. Tryin' to keep it quiet-like too, so don't go tearin' up Jake now, y'hear?"

"Yeah, we'll keep that in mind." Akari said as we entered. Jean's apartment was just the same as mine, which I figured was the same for everyone really. We set our bags down on the counter, as Bonnie slammed the door closed with reckless abandon, turning back to us with her usual grin.

"Right-o partners! So, Clara's gettin' things set up outside, I think." She said, pointing out to the balcony. Sure enough, the Ultimate Modern Dancer was outside, glancing around at the surrounding area. "So, while she's got things handled there, I want y'all to get all them fixin's ready. Then we hunker down here for a while. 'Til everything 'ficially begins anyways."

"Understood. It seems like a simple enough task, anyways." I simply said, nodding. Akari nodded as well, actually setting her bags down first. I moved to do the same, until Bonnie grabbed me by my arm before I could move that is.

"Listen, don't wanna sound like I'm castin' doubt or nothin', but…" She said, scratching at a spot below her chin. "Just curious as ta' where Jean is, y'know? Where'd that wolfer get off to?"

"Oh, he said he was waiting for Nizu. He wanted to discuss something with her apparently." I explained. "If you want me to, then I can go check on him myself. It looks as if you'll have plenty of help from Akari." A frown crossed Bonnie's face as she thought for a minute, before she finally nodded.

"Alrighty then!" She said, putting both her hands on her hips. "Just be back with either one a' them, yeah? And try to get your asses back here too, these gals and I might end up gettin' a bit too wolflish if ya catch my drift." She broke out into an uproar of laughter, even slapping her knee.

"Er...I'll...keep that in mind, Bonnie." I said, laughing awkwardly. "I won't be too long, I promise." She nodded once more, as I headed right for the door.

* * *

"Ni? C'mon, I know you're in there! Stop ignorin' me, will ya?" I heard Jean well before I reached him. I sped up, quietly opening the door only to see he was still standing outside Nizu's door, pounding on it at this point. "It's just one little question! Are you seriously going to ignore me for that?"

"Jean. Haven't you been out for long enough?" I asked, emerging from the stairwell. "Bonnie's worried about you. And we need you to help set up for the party, anyways."

"I'm a persistent man, Jiji." Jean said, not even phased by my sudden reappearance. "And unless Ni comes out right now, you dudes are just gonna have to make due without me." I sighed, folding my arms.

"If you're going to stay here all night, then let me take what you have." I finally said, pointing to his bags. "They probably need it upstairs." Jean's hand tightened around the handle, and he seemed to consider the request for a few moments. But, just as he was about to hand it over, the door on the other end of the hall opened.

"Oh. Jean. Denjii." It was Nizu, her voice and face revealing absolutely nothing. It was almost like she wasn't even surprised to see us. "Why are you two outside my room? Did you need something?"

"Oh! Yeah, just wanted to ask ya something!" Jean quickly said, laughing slightly. "You're comin' to the party, right? We're tryin' to gather everyone up 'fore midnight. Guess Bonnie didn't catch you in time during breakfast. Or during dinner for that matter."

"Wait, you weren't at breakfast or dinner?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. I was more preoccupied searching for more information of our area." Nizu explained. "As for this party, I suppose I might as well. At the rate we're going, we might be able to make it to...I'm assuming your apartment, Jean?" The Ultimate Rapper simply nodded, pushing his backwards cap up slightly. "As I guessed. We might be able to make it before the curfew announcement."

"Yo, wait, it's nearly 10?" Jean asked, dropping his bags to check his bracelet. I checked the time as well. 9:57. It was even later than I thought, it seemed. "Damn. We were out getting supplies for a long time, then."

"I've just ended my watch shift." Nizu continued. "Edmund and I agreed on going for different times. I'm not sure how long he said he would be going for, but I always watch from **8:50 to 9:30**."

"If that's the case, then why did we not see you coming in?" I asked, tilting my head. "Jean, Akari, and I all returned not long ago, yet I did not see any sign of you while we were passing through the lobby."

"I had to…" Nizu started, pursing her lips. "...step out for a few moments. That must've been when you three passed through." She shook her head, clearly a bit embarrassed. "Let's….move away from this subject. Why don't we just head up to Jean's apartment?"

"Yeah, no prob, Ni." Jean said. He gathered up his bags once more and the three of us began to head back up the stairs. However, as we climbed up the stairs, the thought occurred to me.

"Nizu, may I ask a quick question?" I asked, looking to her. She merely nodded, expression unchanging. "After you came back, did you happen to see Rurumi come back?"

"...No, I'm afraid I didn't." She said after quite a bit of consideration. "I didn't see anyone enter or leave prior to meeting up with you two." She quickened her pace. "Let us just enjoy this party for now. Rurumi should be fine."

 _You say that, but…_ I thought, frowning. _No. I need to believe in her. And remain positive. We'll all be in Jean's room tonight. Or at least everyone in this building. And she can perfectly take care of herself. She'll be perfectly fine._

* * *

" _It is now 10pm! Curfew is now in effect. All students should refrain from venturing farther than the cafe or risk punishment. Behave yourselves, now!_ "

The announcement shut off just as we made it to back to Jean's apartment. Set-up was easy from there. Bonnie was the one directing us, surprisingly knowing quite a bit about setting up for a party. We placed snacks in bowls and placed them literally on any flat surface. The counter, the chair on the balcony outside, the coffee table, and I swear I even saw one of the bowls on a couch arm.

"Alrighty folks! I think we're all ready!" Bonnie eventually shouted, at around 10:20. She looked rather pleased with herself, a huge grin plastered all over her face. "Y'all good with startin' the hootenanny early?"

"We've still got a few people missing, right?" Akari asked, glancing around the room. "I don't think Rurumi or Kasane are here yet. Maybe we should wait for them?"

"Rurumi should be fine." I piped up. "As for Kasane…" Bonnie put a hand on her chin, frowning and trying to think.

"How 'bout this then? Akari, you and Denjii here go find Kasane and see if she's gonna mosey on down." The Ultimate Cowgirl said, pointing to the both of us. "Meanwhile, rest of us are gonna get our party down! Yee-haw!" Akari looked as if she wanted to object, but sighed and shrugged, turning to the door.

"I suppose we'd better go then." I said, rushing to her side. "Do you know which floor her room is on?"

"Yes, I think so at least." Akari said confidently, leading the way downstairs. "She should be on the….second floor. Right above your apartment, I think!" I nodded and simply followed her. Yet, as we walked down more and more flights of stairs, I slowly felt more and more uneasy. A strange pit settled at the bottom of my stomach, causing a shiver to run down my spine with every door we passed or every step we took. Something was wrong, but I just kept trying to tell myself to push those thoughts aside.

However, as we reached the third floor, my fear was only cemented further. Outside of the room's door was Kasane, knocking quietly and looking rather concerned. She didn't even seem to hear us as we got closer. And I soon figured out why. On the other side of the door was a faint scuffling noise followed quickly by various, outdoor noises. I sprinted ahead of Akari, who only looked confused.

"Kasane, what's going on?" I asked. Kasane's fist tightened on the door and she merely looked at me, clearly conveying a specific message. I set my jaw firmly and began pounding on the door as well, trying the door knob.

Locked.

"Denjii, what's wrong?!" Akari asked, finally making it closer. "Is there something going on? Is everything alright?" I wanted to answer her and assure her everything was alright, but opening the door was my main priority at the moment. I instead just ignored her questions, jiggling the door handle as much as I could.

 _Goddammit…_ I thought, furrowing my brow. Without thinking, I backed up before trying to ram my shoulder into the door, shuddering slightly and coming to the realization that I was almost definitely athletic. But I suppose that should've been obvious considering my talent. But my poor athletic skill didn't deter me, I instead continued trying to bash the door down using my shoulder alone. Akari eventually caught onto what I was trying to do, ordering for both of us to stand aside.

She unsheathed her sword, performing a downwards strike on the door. I fully understood why she was called the Ultimate Fencer, as the strength behind her blow was incredible. I could even feel the strength reverberating off of the door as wood chips flew everywhere. She stuck the door another couple of times, eventually creating a hole big enough for her to slip her hand through. She managed to unlock the door from the inside, pushing it open.

The room inside was a complete mess. Furniture was thrown everywhere and there were dents in the actual wall. The balcony door had been left open and the chair outside had been tipped over. There were red stains all over the walls and I even saw a big rip in the paneling. I heard Akari gasp and back away while Kasane remained completely silent.

My heart leaped into my throat as I moved further into the apartment. Everything is fine. Everything is fine. I kept trying to tell myself, trying my hardest not to look at the red handprints and smudges all over the wall. This is nothing….Everything will be fine...just stay positive. Just….stay….posi…

That's when I should've realized. No matter how positive you try to be in this town, **Despair** will always find a way to rear its ugly head.

* * *

 _The couch was sideways, facing the open balcony door. Someone lay on their side, head lowered so as to look as if they were simply asleep. In fact, they could've easily been mistaken as asleep if it weren't for their front, which was completely died scarlet. I stepped forwards, pulling on the person's shoulder only to feel nothing but cold death. And see the person's face._

 _In front of me laid the cold, lifeless corpse of_ _ **Rurumi Roka**_ _, the_ _ **Ultimate Kickboxer**_ _._

 _Dead._

* * *

 ** _Students Alive: 15_**

 ** _Students Dead: 1_**

* * *

 ** _END OF FREE TIME_**

* * *

 ** _The first murder victim, Rurumi Roka. It was super hard choosing who the first victim should be, before I eventually settled on Rurumi. As much as I love her and wish I had a bit more time to develop her, every killing game needs a first victim. Besides, I have bigger plans for the rest of the characters._**

 ** _So, the way things role from here should be simple. Next chapter will be our investigation along with a list of all our truth bullets, then the next few chapters should be the class trial. Not sure now how long said trial will be, but we'll get to that when it comes, I guess. Voting for FTEs is now over as well, and I swear I didn't know I could just make a poll on here, I'm still relatively "new" to this site. So the next pole should be up following the trial._**

 ** _Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! See you all during the next chapter!_**


	9. Chapter 1: Things Seen In The Dark - 4

I jerked my hand back, trying my hardest to control my breathing. Every part of me just felt numb at what I was seeing. That positive, 'everything will be fine' mantra I had been repeating to myself walking into this was shattered mercilessly to pieces. I just stood there, completely silent as Akari let out a scream behind me and the speakers on our bracelets suddenly crackled to life.

" _A body has been discovered! Since this is the first murder, your Trip Supervisors request that all surviving students make their way to the courtyard outside of the apartment buildings. More information is gonna be given there. Get moving, bastards!_ "

I didn't even move hearing that announcement. I just stood there, completely paralyzed by what I was seeing. This shouldn't be happening. This couldn't have happened. Nobody here would've actually killed someone. They couldn't have. It was almost as if I was expecting Rurumi to just pop back up, laughing and revealing it all to be some sort prank.

But she didn't move. She couldn't, after all.

"...Ms. Tokunaga…." Kasane said, reaching up and gingerly touching my shoulder. "We...We should go. I do not want to imagine what they may do to us if we do not." I only murmured a small "Yeah…" in response. I didn't even hear Akari speak, instead only hearing still startled, shallow gasps of breath from her.

Kasane led the way back out into the hall, being the one to close the door half-way just as the others from the party burst out from the stairwell door.

"The hell happened?!" Bonnie asked, looking only more concerned after getting a good look at our faces. "And what was that there deal with the announcement?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Nizu asked, emotionless. "The game has started. And one among us is dead," she simply nodded to the door, "I'm assuming the victim is Rurumi?"

"Wait, you're telling me that body that those creepy things said was discovered…" Clara exclaimed. "That was Rurumi?! No way, there's no way she'd just let herself get killed!"

"Her room...it was trashed when we found it." Kasane said simply. "I...think it's safe to assume whoever killed her took her by surprise….and there was a struggle." She took in a deep breath, before turning to the other end of the hallway. "Come on….We need to keep moving. We won't accomplish anything by staying here."

She was right. Completely and utterly right. No matter what happened, we needed to keep moving forwards. It's….it's what Rurumi most likely wanted. The 7 of us began moving back down through the building, making it to the courtyard where the rest of us were all waiting.

Nobody spoke. Or at least if they did, they weren't very loud. I could only assume that Kasane was the one telling anyone who asked what we had found. I glanced around to see how Akari was doing, only pulling my facemask up higher. She was off by herself, holding her hands together against her chest in a desperate attempt not to break down in tears, most likely at least.

"Man! That took longer than I thought!"

That yell marked the arrival of Mimi, strangely without her sister. She was standing on a high tree branch, looking down at us all with a wide grin plastered all over her plastic face.

"Knew one of you bastards had it in ya!" She continued, leaning against the trunk casually. "That, or you just got too fed up with those shocks. And I mean, hey, don't blame yourself! I'd get pissed too if I couldn't sleep for a whole day!"

"You mind cutting to the chase, dude?" Yuri asked, sounding disinterested. "Why'd you call us out here. And what'd you mean by that whole, 'body discovered' thing?"

"Heeheehee! Isn't it obvious?" Mimi giggled, her grin only growing wider. "One of you decided you'd rather hit the road, move out into the great big world!"

"In simpler terms…?" Katsumi said.

"One of you is a murderer!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands out. "Didn't those three bitches tell you? That kickboxer chick is dead, caput! Gone to sleep with the fishes! All that juicy stuff! And now y'all gotta find out who dunnit!"

"We need to figure out who killed her?" Raiko said. "You never mentioned that when first going over the rules." Mimi blew a raspberry, waving it aside.

"We said you gotta kill and not get caught." She pointed out. "I dunno what you thought we meant by that, but I thought it was pretty clear. Kill someone and not be uncovered as the killer, you get to go home. Get caught? **Buddy, you'll be able to see your victim again**. So all in all, a real win, yeah?"

"H-Hold on….b-by saying 'you'll be able to see your victim again'...do you m-mean….?" Taizo stuttered, eyes widening slightly. "Y-You're….going to kill the person responsible?"

" **Execution** , to be specific." Gigi suddenly appeared from behind one of the gardens, carrying a stack of what looked like a bunch of tablets, decorated with green or pink plastic gems. "You will be given an extended period of time to investigate the scene of the crime, then you will debate the evidence you collected and who commited the murder in what we call a **Class Trial**."

"So. We're going to court then." Nizu asked, putting a hand to her chin. "This sounds simple enough. But...what will happen to us if we guess incorrectly?"

"You get the answer wrong, the killer walks free." Gigi said. "However, the punishment meant for the killer will then be transferred to the innocent. In short, if you can correctly guess the culprit, then they alone are executed. However, if you get it wrong, then everyone except the killer is executed and they can walk freely."

"Yeah! So y'all better not slack on the whole investigation!" Mimi shouted from her tree. "I mean, it is your lives on the line. And you, killer, better have done a good job at covering up your tracks!" A heavy silence fell over us. One that Mimi only laughed at, nearly losing her balance in the process.

"Continuing on," Gigi said, stepping forwards, "for this time only, there will be a period following the investigation for you all to sleep once again. In order to ensure you have enough time for both, I will now hand out the murder files." She somehow managed to set the stack down and began walking among us all, handing out the little tablets with a completely unreadable expression.

When I had received mine, I simply switched it on, watching my reflection in the screen before it faded out to a bright white. A cute, cartoon face appeared among the white, while the words "Gemini File" faded in underneath it. It quickly switched to something similar to the student files on our bracelet, listing the victim's weight, height, age, and talent.

There was a second page, complete with the scene of the crime and picture of Rurumi's body. Another diagram, underneath a few notes on the body, seemed to show where all of Rurumi's injuries were, outlined in a bright pink.

It said as follows;

 _The victim is Rurumi Roka, the Ultimate Kickboxer. She was discovered in her room at around 10:58pm. Her estimated time of death is around 9:28pm. Her cause of death is single laceration to her chest. Other injuries include several bruises all across her body and a bigger head wound._

"Now, you all need to figure it out for yourself!" Mimi said, waving. "Wish y'all good luck! Try not to die while we're gone, too. Later bitches!" She jumped down from her tree, disappearing to God only knows where.

"Way to be professional about all this…." Gigi muttered under her breath, handing the last remaining file out before disappearing behind one of the gardens as well.

"...So...uh….how…" Jean was the first to talk after another long, heavy period of silence. "How are we going to do any of this? I mean, half of us can't even enter the girl's building. How do they expect us to investigate?"

"Then those of us who can enter the girl's building should investigate there." Nizu took charge, stowing her file away. "Everyone else should check around the remaining areas of the town. And so, with that in mind," She turned on her heel and began walking back towards the building's front door, "I'm leaving to perform my own investigation. Good luck to the rest of you."

"This….this can't be happening….can it?" Kotetsu muttered, turning all attention to him. He was holding his arms and shaking, the fur on his tail and on any visible patches of skin clearly rising in fear. "Did someone really…..k-kill her?"

"I'm afraid that seems to be the case here." Katsumi said with a sad shake of his head. "Believe me, I don't want to believe it, but it...seems to be an unavoidable truth…" Kotetsu made a sort of whining sound, averting his gaze.

"N-No….she can't be….." He said, sounding on the verge of tears. "S-She can't be dead…..I-I spoke with her an hour ago…..She just can't be dead!" My hand tightened around my file.

I didn't want to believe it either. To think that someone all of us knew, someone who would always call out a happy 'good morning' every breakfast without a care in the world, could be dead. It felt even harder to believe that someone else among us killed her. But as those dolls said….all of our lives were on the line here. If we couldn't figure out who killed Rurumi, we were all going to die.

 _I won't let anyone else innocent die here._ I told myself, taking a deep breath. _And I'll make sure to avenge you, Rurumi. I promise._

* * *

 _Investigation_

 _BEGIN_

* * *

 _First things first, I should make a list of all the evidence I've collected so far._ I told myself, pulling a glove off. _Maybe there's something in the bracelet where I can….Aha!_ One of the previously empty menus, now labelled " _Evidence_ ", already had the information from the murder file listed. It must've recorded it automatically, which was useful to say the least.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Gemini File #1: Rurumi Roka**

 _Alright. So…._ I tapped out and glanced around once more. _Er...now what am I supposed to do? I can't ever remember having to investigate a murder before._ Those who could enter the girl's building had begun following after Nizu, while those who couldn't went their own ways. I also noticed with interest that Edmund went to go stand in front of the girl's building's door, while Yuri went to the cafe, presumably to the kitchen as well. Katsumi was trying to console Kotetsu, who was just as close to breaking down in tears as Akari had.

 _Wait, Kotetsu said he had seen Rurumi before she died, right?_ I asked myself, thinking back. _Maybe I could ask him. Then I can check out her apartment for myself._

"Ah, do you need something, Denjii?" Katsumi greeted as I walked closer. "I'm afraid I don't have much to offer. I was in my apartment all night. Although, I suppose that's not much of an airtight alibi in this case."

"It's fine. I want to ask Kotetsu something, actually." I said, keeping my eyes locked onto Kotetsu. Katsumi looked a bit surprised, before patting the Ultimate Test Subject on the arm. "Kotetsu, you said earlier you saw Rurumi about an hour ago, right? Could you tell me more about that?"

"I…..I…." He sniffed, trying to rub away tears. "I….was in the k-kitchen with her after dinner...s...she wanted to make a huge breakfast f-for everyone….to get all our minds off o-of this whole issue….." He paused for a moment, taking a quick breath to steady himself. "We w-were in there for a while….A-And just a while before I….I left, w-we saw **Yuri** come in…."

"Yuri? He entered the kitchen at some point?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What for?"

"From what I can tell, he drinks nothing but coffee." Katsumi pointed out. "He was probably getting another cup for the night. Right?" Kotetsu nodded.

"Y-Yeah….we talked f...for a bit…" He continued. "And t-then….I think ten minutes after Yuri left, I-I left too….Edmund would've been mad if I c-came back after he was done keeping watch….R-Rurumi said she would be fine coming back….so I...I didn't think much of it…." He buried his face in his hands, trembling terribly. "I...I should've done something! I saw her before she died and I didn't do anything!"

"Hey there big guy, you didn't know." Katsumi said, patting his arm again. "None of us were expecting this. You're not the only one."

"I doubt there could've been much you could do, she was found in her room after all." I pointed out. "And there were signs of a struggle. If she was murdered in her room, then you couldn't have done a thing since you can't enter." Kotetsu didn't say anything at first, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. I waited a few seconds, before continuing my questioning. "May I ask one last question? Did you happen to see anything strange on your way back? Anything that could pertain to this case?"

"...N-Now that you mention it…." Kotetsu slowly said, voice wavering. "...just after I left the cafe…. **I think I saw someone** ….b-but I can't remember what they l….look like…..I'm really sorry….." Both Katsumi and I blinked, exchanging a similar look of surprise.

 _He saw someone outside the cafe? Who could that be?_ I asked myself, biting my lip. _...That can't be any coincidence. I should remember that. It might be important._

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Kotetsu's Account**

I thanked Kotetsu for the information and decided to follow Yuri into the cafe. He was the only other person, minus Rurumi's killer, to see her just before her death. He had to have known something.

Sure enough, I found him in the back kitchen, although he wasn't over by the coffee machine. Instead, he had left his mug on one of the counters and was inspecting the ground on one knee, tracing a finger across the floor and frowning. I stopped in the doorway, giving him a questioning look.

"Er….Yuri?" I said, making him jump back to his feet. "Is...there something wrong? What are you doing?" He laughed, putting a hand behind his head.

"Oh, y'know, tryin' to help wherever I can, dude." Yuri explained. "Y'see, I came in here 'cause I figured I might need another cup for this whole thing when I noticed somethin'. Run a finger 'long the floor for a minute, dude?" He let out another laugh when I gave him another questioning look, continuing further by saying; "Listen, I know it sounds weird, but just trust me for a minute, okay?"

"Al...right…." I hesitated, before bending down and placing a hand on the floor. Right away, I saw what Yuri had been talking about. "Huh? Is this…."

"Water? Yeah, that's what I'm guessing at least." Yuri nodded as I pulled away, inspecting my now damp glove. "Felt it right away, dude. I was in here earlier, and I definitely don't remember the floor being this wet. Pretty suspicious, am I right?"

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Clean Kitchen?**

"Ah, Yuri that reminds me." I said, shaking my hand out. "You said you were in here earlier, correct? That was when Kotetsu and Rurumi were still in here. Did you happen to see anything strange?" Yuri frowned, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to remember.

"...At the time, not really much, dude. I just came in, made another cup of coffee, and left." He finally admitted. "Those two were up to something, but I didn't wanna bother them or anything. **I did accidentally leave out the cream 'fore I left, but they must've put it away 'fore they left.** "

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Yuri's Account**

"I see...Thank you, Yuri." I said simply. "I'm not sure if you will continue searching around here, but I will continue my investigation here." Yuri nodded, pointing down to what I realized was his own copy of the murder file, sticking out of his pocket.

"Might as well. File said cause of death was a basically a stab wound, right?" He asked, a thin smile creeping onto his face. "There's only two places to get knives 'round here. General store, or here, dude. Whoever killed her obviously got the knife from 'round here. Might be good to check if anything is missing." I nodded in agreement, before I began my search.

I checked every cupboard and drawer, only to find most of the plates and silverware gone. Checking the sink, however, I found most of the missing objects still damp and wet. There were far too many to be considered the load washed after dinner, or too many from the breakfast Kotetsu and Rurumi had been apparently planning. I frowned, inspecting a few of them. I even took any knives I found and placed them within the cutting block, only to find one of them was missing.

 **TRUTH BULLET UPDATED! - Clean Kitchen?**

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Missing Kitchen Knife**

I moved away from the silverware to also check anywhere else, the only other places left being the refrigerator and trash can. I ended up checking the refrigerator first, since it was actually the closer of the two. Inside was everything you'd expect, along with a few other extra, already prepared meals Rurumi and Kotetsu must've made. However, I noticed that one of the containers seemed to have a smudged, red stain still on it, glinting in the artificial light inside.

"Yo, that's the creamer." Yuri piped up from by the coffee pot, watching on as I pulled the container out and inspected it. "See? Told ya they put it away once I left. Mind throwin' it over here, dude?"

"Hm? Sure, of course. Give me a moment please." I replied, turning it over in my hands. Not only was there a red smudge staining the metal, I also noticed there was a slight dent not far from it. I frowned a small bit, but threw it over to Yuri anyways, making a mental note of it.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Cream Container**

"Thanks, dude." Yuri said, catching it flawlessly. He turned to pour it in, only to stop dead cold and frown. "Hey….wait, you didn't spill any, did you?"

"Er...No? I do not believe I did." I said, already beginning to move for the trash can. That only made Yuri frown more, and I caught a glimpse of him screwing off the cap to peer inside.

"Freaky. I swear I didn't use this much earlier." He muttered. _There's some cream missing then? Strange._ I reflected. _From what I can gather, Yuri doesn't require a lot of cream in his coffee. I wonder why most of it is suddenly gone now?_

 **TRUTH BULLET UPDATED! - Yuri's Account**

I continued my search, reaching the trash can and removing the top. Inside were many discarded, visibly damp sheets of paper towels. The further down I dug, I found, the more red they seemed to get. I also found, sitting on top of the bottom pile of food scraps, there was a crusty, old-looking dish rag. Gingerly bringing it up to the light also revealed that it was stained a darker red than the paper towels.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Discarded Paper Towels**

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Discarded Dishrag**

I straightened up, dusting off my hands as something nearby the bin caught my eye. Several drops of what I could only assume was blood, nearly covered by a fine, white powder. I raised another eyebrow, slowly reaching down and touching a finger to it. When I pulled my hand away, I found many of the small particles stuck to the fabric of my glove. I tried to get a closer look, but gave up rather quickly. We were on a time limit, after all. But, I still heard my bracelet ding as I left, which, at the very least, meant this powder was important to the case. Somehow, that is….

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - White Powder**

* * *

Back outside, I decided I'd better investigate the scene of the crime. As I made my way towards the girl's building entrance, I noticed Hachiro was now standing by the door talking with Edmund, looking rather panicked and wet as well. I quickened my pace, already sensing trouble.

"J-Just let me in! I have information t-that could be useful to them, I-I just know it!" Hachiro was practically begging as I grew closer, trembling nearly as much as Kotetsu had. The general, however, stood firm, glaring down at the young man with that determined, steely gaze.

"I have sworn to not let any potential suspects in." He said sharply, making Hachiro wince a small bit. "Anyone who cannot enter this building normally is thereby barred from entry! You cannot fool me, murderer!"

"B-B-But, I-I'm not-"

"Edmund, relax." I said, cutting in. "I highly doubt Hachiro could be the culprit. Besides, I'm interested in what you have to say." Edmund huffed and only folded his arms in response, while Hachiro looked relieved, to be honest.

"T-Thank you, Denjii…" He said, letting out a small sigh. "U-Um….ok...s-so I was taking a-a shower….t-to try and stay awake, right? When I w-was getting out, I-I heard **a lot of scuffling and loud noises from the apartment across from mine** ….And...and that's Rurumi's, y-y'know?" He began toying with his bandana a small bit. "I just t-thought she was training or something….She w-was doing it last night and was p-pretty loud too. B-But, when I got out, I-I saw **someone dropping down from her b-balcony and o-out of sight** before I c-could recognize them…."

"And that is when you saw Cadet Roka's corpse as well, correct?" Edmund suddenly said, apparently interested in this now. "Hmph….I suppose your story checks out."

"It's interesting as well…." I added. "A person dropping down onto a lower balcony, I would presume. Interesting…"

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Hachiro's Account**

"S-So, now you'll let me in?" Hachiro asked, clearly hopeful. Unfortunately for him, Edmund shook his head, before pointing to the lock.

"I'm afraid I cannot open the door myself. Both the lock and the rules prohibit me from doing so." He pointed out. He gave out a groan, however, when he saw both of our confused faces, explaining further by saying; " **Rule three** of our rulebooks. " **Each door to the apartment buildings is equipped with a specific lock that will not allow the other gender to enter**."

"Oh...y-you've got to be kidding me…" Hachiro muttered. "I-I'm….I'm sorry I wasted your time, Edmund….T-That was my mistake…." Edmund only huffed once more, simply waving it aside.

"You have no need to apologize, cadet Yamamato." He said. "The information you provided was...useful, to say the least. As you were!" Hachiro stuck his hands inside his pocket and walked off, leaving just Edmund and I alone.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Rule Three**

"Edmund, may I ask you something as well?" I asked, turning back to him. "You watched the lobby for the boy's apartment, right? Who did you see entering and exiting, then? When did you start and stop, by the way?"

"So you practically want me to tell you everything I saw during my watch?" He asked, eyebrow raised. I simply nodded in reply. "If you must know, **I began my watch at 8:30 and finished at 9:15**. During that time, I saw **Taizo** leave at **9:08 pm** and **Raiko** leave just before I finished my shift at **9:14**. I also witnessed Yuri and Kotetsu return sometime after **9:10**. Is that sufficient enough?"

 _Both Taizo and Raiko were also outside at the time….Interesting._ I thought as I thanked Edmund for the information. _I'll have to ask Nizu about who she saw enter during her watch. If I have time, I should also ask those two what they were doing outside._

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Edmund's Account**

* * *

I opened the door to the building, taking a few deep breaths before I began to venture upstairs. Even then, I just wasn't mentally prepared to reenter Rurumi's room. I didn't notice it when we first came in, but the entire room stank of blood. That looming feeling of death hung in the air, pressing down on me the instant I stepped into the room.

Nizu had already gotten to investigating Rurumi's body, which still laid on the couch as if she was asleep. I couldn't see where Clara and Akari were, eventually coming to the conclusion that the two were just someone else in the building. However, Jean, Kasane, and Bonnie were all in the room, with Bonnie watching as Nizu investigated while Jean and Kasane mostly stood off to the side, unsure of what to do. It was fine, since I did have some questions for Kasane anyways.

"Ms. Tokunaga. You've...finally come to investigate up here." The Ultimate Kendo Practitioner said as I approached the two. "Are...you doing-"

"I am fine." I said, keeping my voice steady. "And I am already continuing with my own investigation. Have either of you found anything of use?"

"Eh, not much." Jean shrugged, before waving a hand around the area. "Just that Rurumi obviously put up one hell of a fight. I mean, I heard she was powerful, but she seriously wrecked this place."

"There is also a hole in the wall over there." Kasane pointed to a small, slit-like hole in the wall. "We think it may have been caused during the struggle. Although I cannot imagine how."

"Kasane, may I ask you a few questions as well?" I asked, nodding as I took in this new information. Kasane didn't reply, instead only giving me a curious, closed eye look. "Before the body discovery announcement, you were outside Rurumi's room. What were you doing there?"

"Ah...that….I was wondering when you were going to ask that." She said, tugging at her haori's sleeves. "Well. I was planning on joining you all at that party….at **11** , correct? I was just getting ready when….around **10:45** or so, I heard footsteps outside, followed closely by scuffling and squealing upstairs…. **My room is directly below Rurumi's** , you see. I quickly finished up and hurried to check on her….just in case. However….I heard thumping immediately followed by the door to her balcony opening...I think at least."

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Kasane's Account**

"Does that help you in any way, Ms. Tokunaga?" She asked as I just nodded, just taking in this new information. "If not, then I will be happy to assist in any other way. I feel I must do….something to help."

"No, no...I should be fine as I am now." I said, holding up a hand. "I'll make sure to find you if I need anything. Either of you in fact. If that is okay with that, Jean…"

"No prob, Jiji." Jean said, waving it aside with a grin. "I'm here whenever you need me!" I thought for a moment, quickly reviewing everything on my head once more. I lingered for a few moments on the testimony Hachiro gave me, before narrowing my eyes slightly. "Ooo! I know that look, you got somethin' in mind already, don't'cha Jiji? Just lay it on me, I'm ready whenever!"

"...Could you go down to my room and climb down the balcony?" I said, causing both of them to give me a confused glance. "Please. Allow me to explain. I have reason to believe the killer escaped using the balconies. If that's the case, then they must've left something behind. If you drop down from my apartment balcony, you should be fine."

"Door locked?" Jean asked, folding his arms. I merely shook my head in reply. "Alrighty. I got ya then, sis! Kas, you keep watch over this place then for me, 'kay?" He began walking back out, as Kasane nodded once more.

This left me with more time to continue searching around the room. To put off investigating the body itself, I decided to check near the door first, where I noted most of the blood smears seemed to be located. Most of them were wide swipes of blood, still relatively fresh by the look of things. I also noticed that there was a single handprint outlined in red, dragging along the wall as if they were being pulled along the wall. Yet, strangely enough, it seemed to be leading towards the front door instead of where Rurumi's body was.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Blood Stains on the Walls**

Other than the bloodstains, I couldn't find anything else of value. The door was still broken from when Akari smashed through it with her sword. It had been locked from the inside before as well, that I could remember clearly. I had even tried the door myself before and it was definitely locked tight. That had to be part of this case as well, especially since my bracelet made the same small ding noise as I looked at it.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Hole in the Door**

I straightened, dusting off my front. There was no other place to check, no other way to delay what was inevitable. I needed to check Rurumi's body for myself, no matter how much I didn't want to. Nizu didn't react at all as I walked over, meanwhile Bonnie only gave me a small tip of her hat. The cowgirl was still watching over, arms crossed. My only guess was that she was supposed to be guarding the scene, most likely in case the culprit wanted to tamper with the crime scene.

All the information that had been listed on the Gemini File was completely true. There was a giant gash in Rurumi's torso, her track jacket and crop top were completely drenched in blood as well. I could already see a dark purple bruise on both of her arms and even on her side as well, nearly covered by the blood.

Taking in a sharp breath, I pushed aside some of her hair to get a better look at her face, discovering a bruise just underneath her chin. Her eyes were actually closed, only making it look like she was sleeping even more. Part of me even wondered if one of the others had done it when they had first began investigating. At least it was better than seeing a now cold and lifeless stare from a face that once always had that energetic, almost uplifting smile on it.

 _You...need to stay on topic, Denjii._ I told myself, shaking my head. _I'm not sure how much time those two things are going to give us for investigation. I need to find out as much as I can before then. And getting too sentimental is only going to be a distraction._ In an attempt to push those thoughts back, I leaned in a bit closer just in case there was anything else of note on her head.

Once again as the Gemini File described, I found a rather large, rather fresh bruise right near her temple. This one had to be the largest one yet, but it wasn't the cause of death, according to the file. Just one look at her proved that wasn't the case. So why such a large wound?

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Rurumi's Wounds**

I was about to finish my investigation of the body when I noticed something...interesting. Still clutched in one hand was the presumably the same knife that had gone missing from the kitchen. It's silver edge was stained with blood, yes, but it just...didn't look as red as it should be. Was this really the same knife that killed her?

Speaking of blood, I also noticed something strange about the couch as well. If this really was the place where she died, then wouldn't it be absolutely soaked where her mortal wound was? And yet, even as I gingerly tried pushing up her waist, the cushion underneath was bone-dry. There weren't even dried stains either, given how the blood on her body seemed fresh enough. The only place where I saw blood was on a nearby blanket draped across the same couch, which had a huge red spot that was still fresh. Yet, even that was rather untouched, with zero rips or tears anywhere in sight. _Strange…_ was all I thought, jerking my hands back towards my body once more.

 **TRUTH BULLET UPDATED! - Missing Kitchen Knife**

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Bloodied Blanket**

"Nizu, have you found anything useful?" I asked, glancing over to her as I warily backed away from the couch. The Ultimate Auditor only frowned in response, eyes traveling over the whole scene.

"I've investigated her entire body and most likely found the same as you did." She replied simply. "I can't glean anything useful from the crime scene as of the moment, but I should have something soon. Did you need anything?"

"I just wanted to know something." I said. "When you met up with Jean and I outside your room's door, you mentioned the time you stand watch in the lobby. Could I have those times again, just in case this has anything to do with all of this?"

"Do you suspect me?" Nizu immediately shot back with, rather bluntly might I add. My hands shot up in defense, as I shook my head quickly.

"No, no! Er...well…" I said, hoping to sound sincere. "I...think people might suspect you, but I personally do not suspect you, I swear!" Nizu finally looked up from whatever it was that had caught her attention so much, her expression completely unreadable.

"...Fine." She said after a few moments of silence. "As I told you before, I had decided to stay out from **8:50 pm** to **9:30 pm**. However, tonight, I had to step out for a few moments, starting from... **9:02** , I believe. I do not remember exactly when I returned, however."

"And during that time, did you see Rurumi come back?" I pressed. Nizu thought for a few moments, before shaking her head.

"No. I can't say I did. The only people I saw entering the building were Bonnie and Clara, and based on their reactions to all this, I doubt either of them could've done this." She replied. "I only met up with you and the rapper there after I finished my watch, which, might I remind you, ends at 9:30 pm. I never saw Rurumi at all after dinner."

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Nizu's Account**

"Denjii. May I ask a favor of you, while I have you here?" Nizu continued, folding her arms. "You are a programmer, correct?"

"Er, yes. I believe I am." I nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Does this have anything to do with the case?"

"It might help us." She said, before launching into her explanation. "I need you to try and hack into the lock outside the building. Not to turn it off. In fact, I want you to leave the mechanics alone. I want you to instead search for the log that records who enters the building. I would be surprised if such a log doesn't exist. Do you think those dolls will allow you to go to the store for a laptop or something to help you break in?"

"Ah, I might have something to help with that, actually." I said, holding up one sleeve. I fumbled for a few moments, before I finally found the hidden clasp. Before now, I had almost forgotten about these machines in my jacket, but in all fairness, I never had a need for it until now. "My jacket has hidden machines. I may be able to break into the lock using these."

"Good. I'd go down as soon as possible." Nizu nodded. "I'm getting the feeling that our period of investigation may be over soon and we will have that chance to rest before this Trial. Hmm…" She put a hand on her chin, covering her mouth as if she was trying to hide a smile. "I wonder….how will this all play out? Will we emerge victorious?"

I didn't dare ask what she meant by that.

* * *

With nowhere else to investigate in the room, I decided to follow Nizu's advice and head back downstairs to the front door. I had made it to the first floor when the door to my room suddenly burst open once more, nearly giving me a heart attack. To my relief, however, it was only Jean, holding what looked like a white stick in his fist.

"Yo! Jiji, there you are!" He shouted happily, waving his free hand with his usual grin. "Did just as you asked and I think I found something worth while! My bracelet made that ding noise I heard coming from both Bon-Bon and Ni's bracelets while they were checkin' 'round Rurumi. Check it, sister!"

He held out his hand, opening the palm of his hand. Sure enough, all he held was a simple, white stick that looked too much like chalk. A bit of the end had been chipped, as if it had been dropped hard. I frowned looking at this, wondering how on earth this could be related to the case either. But, just like the white powder in the kitchen, I heard my bracelet beep as it registered this new information.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Discarded Piece of Chalk**

"You say you found this underneath my balcony?" I asked, looking back up to Jean's face. He simply nodded, adjusting his cap with his free hand.

"Yeah. A few feet away." He said. "Looked like someone dropped it, actually. You think it was the killer?" I slowly nodded. My theory that the killer escaped using the balcony was becoming more and more likely at this rate.

"Thank you for this, Jean. Could you please keep a hold on that chalk for the Trial?" I said, pointing to the white stick. "I have the distinct feeling that it is going to become important in proving who the culprit is, as well as a few other key points about this case."

"No prob, Jiji, I got ya!" He grinned, stuffing the chalk into his pocket. "I'll be upstairs with Kas if you need me. Just holler and I'll come runnin'. Let's figure this thing out, and live dude!" I couldn't help but smile as well as I waved goodbye. He began heading upstairs, humming a small tune to himself.

 _He was probably being a bit too carefree about all of this_ , I reflected as I continued back downstairs. _But I suppose a bit of positivity is better than pessimism. I'd better hurry, just in case it's almost-_

" _Bam bong bing! Your period of investigation is now over!_ " Mimi's voice suddenly blared out of my bracelet, almost giving me a heart attack once more. " _Before the trial begins, a brief rest period will be given. The shocks on your bracelets have now been lifted and you all can sleep again! I'd use this time wisely. In a few hours time, this_ _ **Killing Trip's first Class Trial**_ _will begin! Ta-ta!_ "

 _….I'll be fine. I have a job to do anyways._ I thought stubbornly, not slowing down in the slightest. _I hope I have enough natural talent to hack into this thing, because I certainly can't remember any techniques. A.I. Development would requiring programming skills, right? And so, I should be fine then, right?_

I only hoped that would be the case.

* * *

Edmund wasn't outside when I finally made it to the door, opening it a crack and peering out. In fact, everyone who had been outside was gone, most likely heading into the other building to rest. I quickly got to work, unlatching the hidden clasp to the machine and feeling around. To my relief, there was a cord hidden inside the compartment, along with a small port for me to stick it in on the lock itself. Part of me was wondering whether I should be the one joking about called the **Ultimate Lucky Student** , at this point at least.

I completely trusted my instincts on this one, my fingers naturally moving across the keyboard like I had done this hundreds of times. At least that proved my talent was real. Within moments, I was able to download part of the log onto the machine itself, which had a small screen just above part of the actual keyboard. I only managed to recover a small part of it, ranging from this afternoon to now. But it was enough information to leave me wondering.

The log listed that **Nizu** had entered the building not long after dinner at **6:47** , followed by **Bonnie** at around **8:55**. The last entry should've been **Jean** , who was logged in at **9:04** , which must've been when we came in. Yet, the last log recorded before 10:58, the time the body had been found, was **Rurumi herself** , logged in at around **10:10**.

 **TRUTH BULLET GET! - Lock Log**

I sighed and checked the time. Close to midnight. A whole hour after the body had first been found. So much had already happened, I could hardly believe this all wasn't come hallucination caused by a lack of sleep. Someone was really dead, and soon we would have to go to what could be the equivalent of court to find out the culprit. In fact, if we got through all of this and somehow ended up being correct, we would come back to this town with two dead among us.

My only worry was who that second, dead person was going to be.

* * *

 ** _Truth Bullets_**

 **[Gemini File #1: Rurumi Roka** **]**

 _The Victim name is Rurumi Roka. Her time of death is aproximately 9:28 pm. Her cause of death is a single laceration to the chest_

 **[Kotetsu's Account]**

 _Kotetsu and Rurumi were in the kitchen late at night. Sometime around 9:00, Yuri entered the kitchen and made a cup of coffee. He left around the same time. Kotetsu then left at 9:10 that same night. As he was leaving, Kotetsu saw someone, but can't recall what they looked like._

 **[Clean Kitchen?]**

 _The floors of the cafe kitchen are unusually damp underfoot. All of the dishes and silverware have been washed thoroughly in the sink_

 **[Yuri's Account]**

 _At around 9:00, Yuri entered the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, meeting up with Kotetsu and Rurumi inside. He used a bit of cream in his cup and left the container out._

 **[Missing Kitchen Knife]**

 _One of the kitchen knives is missing. The very same knife was found in Rurumi's hand, not covered in enough blood to look like the murder weapon._

 **[Cream Container]**

 _There is a huge dent in the container and a unidentifiable red smudge not far from it._

 **[Discarded Paper Towels]**

 _There are a lot of paper towels that have been thrown away. All of them still look damp._

 **[Discarded Dish Rag]**

 _An old, crusty dishrag is hidden underneath all of the paper towels in the trash can._

 **[White Powder]**

 _There is quite a bit of white powder stuck to the floor and side of the trash can. There are red drops hidden underneath._

 **[Hachiro's Account]**

 _Hachiro had been taking a shower when he heard scuffling and loud thumps from the apartment across from his. When he went outside to check, he saw someone dropping down to the balcony below and Rurumi's body lying on the couch._

 **[Rule Three]**

 _Each door to the apartment buildings is equipped with a specific lock that will not allow the other gender to enter._

 **[Edmund's Account]**

 _Edmund was keeping track of who entered and exited the boy's building from 8:30 to 9:15. He saw Yuri and Kotetsu enter at around 9:10 pm while Taizo and Raiko left at 9:08 and 9:14 respectively._

 **[Kasane's Account]**

 _Kasane heard scuffling upstairs at around 10:45 while she was getting ready for the party. Once she was presentable, she went up to Rurumi's door and knocked, startling someone on the other end. She heard more rustling and the balcony door opening._

 **[Bloodstains on the Walls]**

 _There are streaks of blood and bloody handprint smudges covering the wall near the door. However, they all seem to be pointed towards the door at an odd angle._

 **[Hole in the Door]**

 _The door was locked, so Akari broke a hole through the door using her sword. It's big enough to fit a hand through._

 **[Rurumi's Wounds]**

 _Her biggest wound is the large gash in her chest, which was her cause of death. Other injuries include bruises all across her arms, under her chin, and one large one on her temple._

 **[Bloodied Blanket]**

 _There's a blanket draped across the couch Rurumi was lying on that has a huge bloodstain on it. However, there are no visible tears anywhere on it._

 **[Nizu's Account]**

 _Nizu was keeping track of who entered and exited the girl's building from 8:50 to 9:30. She only saw Bonnie and Clara enter before having to step out at 9:02. She doesn't remember what time she returned._

 **[Discarded Piece of Chalk]**

 _Jean found a strange piece of chalk underneath the first floor apartment balcony. It looks like it hit the ground rather hard._

 **[Lock Log]**

 _Denjii was able to get into the log for the lock to the girl's building. Nizu entered the building at 6:47 pm, Bonnie entered at 8:55, and Jean entered at 9:04. However, sometime before the body was found, it shows Rurumi unlocked the door at 10:10._

* * *

 ** _Part of me is worried I have too many truth bullets, but eh. It should be fine. Again, I really wanted to keep Rurumi around longer, but I feel that even in the short time we got to know her, she was at least fun. I certainly enjoyed writing her. I also wish I could've kept the killer around longer. I just love all these kids already, okay?_**

 ** _Anyways, the long-awaited class trial is next time! As I mentioned at the beginning (I think), I will be writing the class trial in a more script-like format, while FTEs and Investigations will stay in a normal, first-person kind of writing style. I'm actually rather excited to start a class trial, never had to write one of those before. Again, also excuse me if this mystery is super easy at first or feels weird. I'm sincerely trying my hardest with all these murders and jazz._**

 ** _Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! See you in the first class trial!_**


End file.
